fond
fond — adjective
1. to have a warm, caring feeling toward a person, animal, or thing that makes you
to have a warm, caring feeling toward a person, animal, or thing that makes you enjoy their company or presence.
Hana is very fond of her old cat and spends every evening brushing its fur.
be fond of + noun phrase — warm liking
Christopher had grown fond of the little bakery where he bought bread each morning.
grow fond of — developing affection over time
The puppy seemed fond of the older dog from the very first day they met.
Élise was fond of her students and always remembered each birthday with a small card.
Mert grew especially fond of the old books he found in his grandfather's study.
- very fond of
- quite fond of
- particularly fond of
- grow fond of
- become fond of
- like
stronger than 'like'; 'fond of' implies deeper emotional warmth
- love
stronger emotional intensity; 'love' can be used more broadly
- attached to
emphasises emotional connection and difficulty separating
- keen on
common in British English; slightly less intense than 'fond of'
- indifferent to
showing no interest or feeling
- averse to
having a strong dislike (formal)
Grammar Patterns
be fond of + noun phrase / pronoun
Usage Note
Predicative only — do not place before a noun. You can say 'I am fond of her' but NOT 'a fond person of her'.
Common Mistakes
2. to get so much enjoyment from a particular activity that you do it often, someti
to get so much enjoyment from a particular activity that you do it often, sometimes to the annoyance of others.
Tunde was fond of whistling while he worked, even though his colleague found it irritating.
be fond of + gerund (whistling)
Ayesha is fond of telling long stories about her travels every time the family gathers.
be fond of + gerund for repeated habitual behaviour
Ezra grew fond of walking along the river after a long day at work.
The old gentleman was fond of complaining about the noisy children next door.
Abigail is fond of rearranging the furniture in her room every few months.
- fond of talking
- fond of reading
- fond of cooking
- fond of walking
- very fond of telling
Grammar Patterns
be fond of + gerund (verb-ing)
Usage Note
Often implies the activity is done so frequently that it becomes a noticeable or mildly annoying habit. Distinguish from sense 1 (LIKE VERY MUCH), which refers to a person or thing rather than an activity.
Common Mistakes
3. showing gentle love and warmth through words, looks, or actions, especially in a
showing gentle love and warmth through words, looks, or actions, especially in a way that feels sincere and tender.
Isabela gave her daughter a fond look before the train pulled out of the station.
fond + look — affectionate expression
The head teacher ended her speech with a fond farewell to the retiring coach.
fond farewell — affectionate goodbye
Indra keeps fond memories of the summer she spent on her uncle's olive farm.
fond memories — warm, pleasant recollections
The old photograph brought back a fond memory of their wedding day thirty years ago.
- fond look
- fond smile
- fond memory
- fond farewell
- fond regard
- tender
similar warmth but often implies more gentleness or vulnerability
- loving
broader; can describe any expression of love
- warm
less specific; focuses on friendliness and kindness
- affectionate
more direct synonym; slightly more formal
Grammar Patterns
fond + noun (smile/look/farewell/memory)
Usage Note
Unlike sense 1 (LIKE VERY MUCH), this sense can be used before a noun ('a fond smile') and does not require 'of'. When used predicatively, it describes a person's nature ('She is very fond' = affectionate by nature).
4. a hope, wish, or belief that is comforting to hold but has very little chance of
a hope, wish, or belief that is comforting to hold but has very little chance of actually coming true.
The young singer held the fond hope of winning a major award before turning twenty.
fond hope — unrealistic but cherished wish
Despite heavy rain, the campers clung to the fond belief that the weather would clear up.
fond belief — unlikely but comforting
The candidate's fond hope of becoming governor ended when she lost the election badly.
fond hope — optimistic sentiment unlikely to happen
Grandpa held the fond wish that all his children would live in the same town again.
- fond hope
- fond wish
- fond belief
- fond dream
- fond expectation
- naive
focuses on lack of realism rather than emotional attachment
- foolish
harsher; lacks the warmth of 'fond'
- unrealistic
purely factual; no emotional dimension
Grammar Patterns
fond + noun (hope/wish/dream/belief)
Usage Note
Used only before a noun (attributive position). It almost always appears with nouns like 'hope,' 'wish,' 'dream,' or 'belief.' The tone is gently pitying — the speaker implies the hope is sweet but naive.
Common Mistakes
5. showing such strong love for a person, especially a child, that you give them ev
showing such strong love for a person, especially a child, that you give them everything they ask for and cannot say no.
The fond grandmother bought her grandson every toy he pointed at in the shop window.
fond + family role — doting, indulgent
Ari, a fond father, bought his daughter the dollhouse she wanted even though money was tight.
The dog's fond owner let it sleep on the bed and eat off his plate.
Yuki's fond parents paid for private school, music lessons, and a personal coach.
- fond parent
- fond mother
- fond father
- fond grandfather
- fond aunt
- doting
nearly identical; 'doting' more strongly suggests excessive adoration
- indulgent
focuses on giving in to wishes rather than affection
- permissive
focuses on allowing behaviour; lacks the emotional warmth
Grammar Patterns
fond + noun (parent/mother/father/grandparent)
Usage Note
Attributive only — placed before a noun describing a person in a caregiving role. Differs from sense 3 (AFFECTIONATE) in emphasising permissiveness and overindulgence rather than gentle warmth. Differs from sense 1 (LIKE VERY MUCH) in that it describes a characteristic of a person rather than a feeling toward someone else.
fond — noun
1. the browned residue left on the inside of a pan after searing or frying, prized
the browned residue left on the inside of a pan after searing or frying, prized by cooks for making richly flavoured sauces.
After searing the steak, the chef poured wine into the pan to lift the fond.
lift the fond — deglazing technique
The brown fond left in the roasting dish gave the gravy a deep, savoury flavour.
A good sauce begins with the fond, so do not wash the pan right after cooking.
The chef added white wine to dissolve the fond from the chicken pan.
dissolve the fond — standard deglazing step
Scraping up the fond with a wooden spoon adds colour and taste to any gravy.
- lift the fond
- fond from the pan
- brown fond
- pan fond
- deglaze the fond
- residue
general term; less specific to cooking
- pan drippings
more common term for juices left in a pan
Usage Note
A specialised term from French cuisine. 'Fond' (pronounced /fɒn/ or /fɔːn/) is uncountable — you cannot say 'a fond' or 'two fonds.' The related verb is 'to deglaze' (adding liquid to dissolve the fond).
Common Mistakes
fond — verb
1. to show someone an excessive amount of love and attention, often treating them a
to show someone an excessive amount of love and attention, often treating them as if they can do no wrong.
The widow continued to fond upon her grandchild whenever the family visited.
fond upon — rare verb pattern meaning dote on
Some grandparents fond over the youngest member of the family without ever setting limits.
Joaquín fonds on his niece as if she were the most wonderful child who ever lived.
Visitors often watched the old teacher fond over her students with endless patience and praise.
It is rare to see a parent fond so openly without worrying about spoiling the child.
- fond on
- fond over
- fond upon
- neglect
to fail to care for properly
Grammar Patterns
fond on/over + noun phrase
Usage Note
This verb is extremely rare in modern English and may sound old-fashioned or poetic. Most speakers use 'dote on' or 'be fond of' instead. It is not used in everyday conversation.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All five expressions describe positive feelings toward someone or something, but they differ in intensity and use. 'Like' is the most neutral and general — you like a movie, a meal, or a colleague. 'Fond of' adds a layer of warmth and personal connection; it suggests you have known the person or thing for a while and feel emotionally invested. 'Love' is stronger than 'fond of' and can be used in both deep relationships ('I love my children') and casual contexts ('I love this song'). 'Adore' is even more intense, implying admiration and almost worship-like affection. 'Attached to' focuses on emotional dependency — you feel you cannot easily let go. For example: 'Manuela likes her new job, is fond of her colleagues, loves her family deeply, adores her baby niece, and has grown attached to the old neighbourhood café where everyone knows her name.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The adjective 'fond' evolved in Middle English from the word 'fon' meaning 'a fool.' It originally meant 'foolish' or 'silly,' then softened to 'foolishly tender' and later to simply 'affectionate' or 'loving.' The cooking term 'fond' (browned bits in a pan) comes from a completely different source — the French word 'fond' meaning 'bottom,' referring to the base of the pan where the browned particles stick.