WordGormandize
Syllablegour·man·dize
Sound[ˈɡo͝ormənˌdīz]
- indulge in good eating; eat greedily; to eat gluttonously or ravenously; to eat greedily : devour:
“everybody tends to gormandize on Thanksgiving—it’s traditional!”
“hungry soccer players who will gormandize whatever they happen to find in the fridge”
gorge, overeat, pig out, swill
(near antonyms) nibble, peck, pick, taste
Gormandize entered English in the mid-1500s as a modification of gourmand, a term borrowed from the French that served as a synonym of glutton. The meaning of gourmand softened over time, developing in the mid-18th century a sense referring to one who is “heartily interested in good food and drink.” It wasn’t until the early 19th century that the wholly positive gourmet became established. Whether that now-common word encouraged the adoption of or was influenced by the softer meaning of gourmand is unknown. Gormandize, too, has softened over time, but only slightly: it can now also imply that a big eater has a discriminating palate as well as a generous appetite.
- the action of indulging in or being a connoisseur of good eating:
late Middle English (as a noun): from French gourmandise, from gourmand; the verb dates from the mid 16th cent.
gormand, alteration of gourmand
First Known Use: 1548
gormandize (verb)
gormandize (noun)
gormandized (intransitive verb)
gormandizing (transitive verb)
gormandizer (noun)
