fond

1 of 3

adjective

ˈfänd 

1

: foolish, silly

fond pride

2

a

: prizing highly : desirous

—used with of

fond of praise

b

: having an affection or liking

—used with of

fond of music

fond of his nephew

3

a

: foolishly tender : indulgent sense 1

a fond mother

b

: affectionate, loving

absence makes the heart grow fonder

a fond embrace

4

: cherished with great affection : doted on

our fondest hopes

has fond memories of their time together

fond

2 of 3

verb

fonded; fonding; fonds

intransitive verb

obsolete

: to lavish affection : dote

fond

3 of 3

noun

ˈfōⁿ 

plural fonds ˈfōⁿ(z) 

1

: background, basis

2

: small particles of browned food and especially meat that adhere to the bottom of a cooking pan and are used especially in making sauces

After searing the steak, we noted the amount of fond (the residue of browned meat that sticks to the pan), which can be deglazed for a rich, flavorful pan sauce.

—Garth Clingingsmith

3

obsolete : fund

Synonyms

Adjective

• affected
• attached
• inclined
• partial

Examples of fond in a Sentence

Adjective

She still has fond feelings for him.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

He wished them a fond farewell.

the fond hope that the situation would change

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

While Bing’s youngest three have recalled fond memories of their dad, his oldest four sons shared more complicated feelings about their father. —Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024

Van Dam has fond memories of going with her sister to stay with her grandmother in South Dakota during summer breaks from school. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

Verb

Congress should fond how to help American business owners. —Baltimore Sun Media, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Verb

Middle English fonned, fond, from fonne fool

Noun

borrowed from French, going back to Old French funt, font "bottom, base" — more at fund entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fond

• fond of

Kids Definition

fond

adjective

ˈfänd

1

: having a liking or love

fond of music

2

: loving, affectionate

a fond farewell

3

: cherished with great affection

their fondest hopes

fondly

ˈfän-(d)lē

adverb

fondness

ˈfän(d)-nəs

noun