Fondness is a gentle, warm feeling of liking or affection for someone or something. When you have fondness for your grandmother, you feel a comfortable, happy warmth when you think about her or spend time with her. When someone speaks with fondness about their childhood home, their voice softens and their eyes might light up with pleasant memories.

Fondness sits between casual liking and deep love. You might have fondness for a favorite teacher, a cozy reading spot, or the smell of cookies baking. It's that affectionate feeling that makes you smile when something comes to mind.

The word often appears when people remember the past: “She recalled her college years with great fondness” means those memories bring warm, happy feelings. You might also hear someone say they've developed a fondness for something over time, like growing fond of a food you once disliked or discovering a fondness for classical music after hearing it regularly.

Unlike stronger words like “passion” or “devotion,” fondness feels comfortable and easy. It's the emotional equivalent of a favorite sweater: familiar, pleasant, and warmly reassuring.