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fondness

fondness

39 2.8
A strong warm liking for a person or thing
  • noun
  • /ˈfɒndnəs/
: cariño
  • Will you look back on your life with fondness or regret?
  • develop a fondness
  • show a fondness
  • a great fondness

She's a redhead, and I wonder about your particular fondness for redheads.

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Examples

  • Her fondness for classical music started when she attended her first concert.

  • Her fondness for you was quite evident the night she saved your life.

  • The reason I have so much fondness for this place is because I remember how hard it was while I was here.

  • I have a fondness for almost all Greek things.

  • Despite his gruff manner, she had a genuine fondness and respect for Calvin.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Kessler does not hunt or bird-watch, but he has a fondness for the wooden figures.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Plowing across America, it felt difficult at the time, but looking back on it now they were, in many ways, the most rewarding days, the days I look back with most fondness.

  • A revealing example is her fondness for imagining the previous tenant of her house, Mrs. McGinn.

    Academic text (2013)
  • She's a redhead, and I wonder about your particular fondness for redheads.

  • I have a deep fondness for the stories my grandmother used to tell me.

Synonyms

love
vsfondness
∞ 1.0

A strong feeling of care and liking for someone or something

is strong liking or warmth but usually less absolute than a profound emotion
affection
vsfondness
276 1.4

A gentle warm feeling for a person, animal, or thing

is stronger feeling of liking or warmth rather than just gentle care
attachment
vsfondness
87 3.3

A strong feeling of liking and caring for someone or something

focuses more on warm liking than on loyalty or long term bond
liking
vsfondness
68 1.0

A feeling of pleasure for a person or thing

is stronger and warmer than a simple preference or pleasure
warmth
vsfondness
62 1.0

A friendly, kind feeling in the way someone speaks or acts

is an internal strong or warm liking rather than just a friendly tone
tenderness
vsfondness
41 3.4

A gentle caring feeling of love and concern for someone

is more about a strong warm liking rather than just gentleness
fancy
vsfondness
  • UK
38 4.2

A sudden or short liking for something

is a steady strong or warm liking, not a short lived whim
adoration
vsfondness
20 3.4

A strong feeling of love and respect for someone or something

is a strong liking but not as intense or reverent as deep feeling
fond regard
vsfondness
1 4.9

Warm, kind feelings for a person or place

is a general strong warm liking rather than a formal respectful feeling
devotedness
vsfondness
1 7.2

A strong, loving loyalty and care for someone or something

is warm liking but less intense and less focused on full devotion

Antonyms

dislike
  • Texting
50 1.0

A feeling of not liking someone or something

38 6.5

A strong dislike of something or someone

How Affectionate

adoration
20 3.4
love
∞ 1.0
fondness
39 2.8
affection
276 1.4
liking
68 1.0

Surface Forms

fondness singular
fondnesses plural

Morphology

fondness = fond (transparent) = fond + ness

The noun is a regular nominalization of the adjective 'fond' indicating the state or quality of being fond.

Etymology

Fondness comes from the old word fond, which once could mean 'foolish' or 'eager'. Over time people used fond to mean a warm liking, so fondness now means a strong, warm feeling of affection.