Fondness

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfɑndnəs/

Definitions

1. A strong liking or affection toward someone or something that brings pleasure and warmth
2. A deep emotional attachment or preference for someone or something that evokes joy and tenderness
3. An affectionate regard or strong partiality for a person, place, or thing that creates a sense of comfort and delight

Etymology: "Fondness" is about as plain as English compounds get: it is the adjective "fond" with the suffix "-ness" attached, the same pattern that turns "kind" into "kindness" or "happy" into "happiness". The interesting part is what "fond" itself has done. In Middle English, "fond" meant "foolish" or "silly," and it came from a past participle of "fonnen," meaning "to be foolish." A person who was fond was a person who was simply daft, not a person who cared for someone. Over the centuries that sense softened. Being foolish about someone or something turned into being foolishly attached to them, and eventually into a warm, affectionate attachment with no hint of folly left in it. Middle English "fondnes" and "fondnesse" carried the earlier flavour of silliness, and the noun later followed "fond" into its gentler meaning.

Synonyms: affection, liking, devotion

Antonyms: dislike, aversion, hatred