aficionado

noun

afi·​cio·​na·​do ə-ˌfi-sh(ē-)ə-ˈnä-(ˌ)dō 

-fē-,

-sē-ə-

variants or less commonly afficionado

plural aficionados also afficionados

: a person who likes, knows about, and appreciates a usually fervently pursued interest or activity : devotee

aficionados of the bullfight

movie aficionados

Did you know?

Before there were nerds, geeks, stans, fanboys, or fangirls, there were aficionados. But not long before, relatively speaking. English borrowed aficionado in the early 1800s directly from Spanish, making a noun out of the past participle of the Spanish verb aficionar, which means "to inspire affection." Nerd, geek, and the rest can sometimes imply that the devotee in question is overdoing their ardor, but aficionado (which traces further back to the same Latin ancestor that gave us the English word affection) is a more neutral descriptor for someone with an abiding and thoughtful devotion to an interest or activity.

Synonyms

• addict
• buff
• bug
• devotee
• enthusiast
• fan
• fanatic
• fancier
• fiend
• fool
• freak
• habitué
• habitue
• head
• hound
• junkie
• junky
• lover
• maniac
• maven
• mavin
• nut
• sucker

Examples of aficionado in a Sentence

Such are the issues that spark hot debate among pizza chefs and aficionados. I recently visited some of the most dedicated pizza makers in the United States to have them demonstrate what makes their pizza special. —Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 30 June 2008

The quality varies with the individual authors, but both history buffs and aficionados of literary criticism will find food for thought here. —Publishers Weekly, 8 Jan. 2001

When film aficionados speak of film noir, they usually refer to the look and attitude of certain films. As critics have found, such films do not form a genre; at best, they suggest a movement. —Bonnie Smothers, Booklist, 15 Nov. 1999

Beyond scuba diving, North Carolina's Crystal Coast and Cape Lookout are famous for fishing. Although I'm not an aficionado myself, prospective anglers need only walk the docks of Moorehead City to book inshore or Gulf Stream excursions … —James Sturz, New York Times, 26 Apr. 1998

an aficionado of the sci-fi series who has seen all the movies several times

Recent Examples on the Web

The bowling aficionado then embarks on a dangerous quest with his bowling pals that sees him tussle with thugs, meet the real Big Lebowski, hide ransom money in his car, and most importantly, bowl. —EW.com, 8 Jan. 2025

Among the festival organizers, Yarrow was an advocate for the topical songwriting and contemporary sounds that some old-line folk aficionados resisted. —Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025

The event, started by journalist and walking aficionado Michael Schneider, has hundreds of Angelenos trekking the length of an iconic boulevard every November on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. —Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025

In the evening, seafood aficionados can choose from an expansive spread including whole scallops and local brown crab legs. —Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Spanish aficionado, from past participle of aficionar "to inspire devotion or affection in," verbal derivative of afición "liking, interest," going back to earlier afeción, afección, borrowed from Latin affectiōn-, affectiō "feeling, feeling of attachment" — more at affection

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

aficionado

noun

afi·​cio·​na·​do ə-ˌfish-(ē-)ə-ˈnäd-ō 

-ˌfis-ē-

plural aficionados

: a person who really likes and appreciates something

an aficionado of Mexican food

science fiction aficionados

Etymology

Spanish, derived from Latin affectio "affection"