gourmand
noun
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"What God has plagu'd us with this gourmaund guest?" As this exasperated question from Alexander Pope's 18th-century translation of Homer's Odyssey suggests, being a gourmand is not always a good thing. When gourmand began appearing in English texts in the 15th century, it was a decidedly bad thing, a synonym of glutton that was reserved for a greedy eater who consumed well past satiation. That negative connotation mostly remained until English speakers borrowed the similar-sounding (and much more positive) gourmet from French in the 19th century. Since then, the meaning of gourmand has softened so that although it still isn't wholly flattering, it now suggests someone who likes good food in large quantities rather than a slobbering glutton.
Synonyms
- bon vivant
- epicure
- epicurean
- gastronome
- gastronomist
- gourmet
Example Sentences
Lindy Segal, Harper's BAZAAR, 31 Aug. 2022 Legend says it was created at the end of the 11th century A.D. by Su Dongpo, a poet, politician and gourmand, after he was exiled to Hangzhou over accusations of having criticized the emperor. Rebecca Stumpf, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2022 With eight restaurants, One&Only Reethi Rah is a gourmand’s dream. Sandra Ramani, Robb Report, 7 May 2022 The tide is a gourmand's menu of scallops, mussels, oysters, crabs and seaweed. Anabel Dean, CNN, 18 May 2022 For any modern gourmand worth their weight in cookbooks, the name Kenji is a familiar one. Leah Bhabha, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2022 Within its first year, the Chinese-Peruvian restaurant earned a bib gourmand acknowledgment from Michelin, landed on the Condé Nast Traveler list of best new restaurants in the world and, Mr. Leon said, has a wait of several weeks for indoor tables. Jessica Testa, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2022 Milk Bar Gift Card Have a gourmand with a sweet tooth? Nicole Charky-chami, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2022 Affable and a noted gourmand, Mr. Epstein struck up friendships with generations of writers, including Wilson, who had been a prominent literary critic since the 1920s. Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2022 See More Word History
Middle English gourmaunt, from Middle French gourmant
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
gourmand
noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- gourmet
- epicure
- epicurean
- gastronome
- gastronomist
- foodie
- bon vivant
- savorer
- connoisseur
- oenophile
- dilettante
- turophile
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- glutton
- trencherman
- hog
- overeater
- guzzler
- stuffer
- gorger
- swiller
Synonyms & Similar Words
- pig
- glutton
- hog
- overeater
- gorger
- trencherman
- stuffer
- cormorant
- gormandizer
- feaster
- swiller
- guzzler
- muncher
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- dieter
- picker
- nibbler
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of gourmand are epicure, gastronome, and gourmet. While all these words mean "one who takes pleasure in eating and drinking," gourmand implies a hearty appetite for good food and drink, not without discernment, but with less than a gourmet's.
The synonyms epicure and gourmand are sometimes interchangeable, but epicure implies fastidiousness and voluptuousness of taste.
Although the words gastronome and gourmand have much in common, gastronome implies that one has studied extensively the history and rituals of haute cuisine.
The meanings of gourmet and gourmand largely overlap; however, gourmet implies being a connoisseur in food and drink and the discriminating enjoyment of them.