When you like someone or something a lot, you are fond of them. It means you feel happy and caring about them. People often use it to show love or a strong liking.
She is very fond of her little brother.
He is fond of reading books at night.
Fond can also mean acting without good sense or wisdom. It describes a thought or action that is silly or not smart. This meaning is often used in more formal or old-fashioned speech.
It was a fond idea to trust him too quickly.
She made a fond mistake in her plan.
In cooking, a fond is the tasty brown bits and juices left in a pan after cooking meat. Chefs use it to make sauces or broths. It is a technical word in the kitchen.
The chef made a rich veal fond for the sauce.
A good fond adds flavor to the stew.
Fond can be used as a verb, mainly in old or literary English, meaning to like or love someone or something. This verb is rarely used today but may appear in poems or old books.
She fonded him with a gentle smile.
They fonded their old memories.
Fond can describe hopes or ideas that are not likely to happen but are believed in with good feelings. It suggests being hopeful but possibly unrealistic.
It was a fond hope that they would win the prize.
His fond dreams did not come true.
