What does gourmandize mean?
Gourmandize means to eat greedily, voraciously, or with obvious lack of restraint. The verb can take food as its object, as in “gourmandize the delicacies,” or stand alone, as in “They gourmandized until the table was empty.” Its tone often combines indulgence with gentle criticism: it suggests not merely eating but eating too enthusiastically or eagerly for one's own good. The word comes from French gourmandise, originally associated with appetite or greed, and entered English in the early nineteenth century. Although it shares an ultimate origin with gourmand and gourmet, its modern English meaning emphasizes excessive consumption rather than refined taste. Gourmandize is especially useful in humorous, literary, or descriptive writing, where it gives a memorable name to unabashed enthusiasm for food.
verbTo eat greedily or voraciously. It can be used transitively with food as the object or intransitively.
- To eat greedily or voraciously, especially in a way that suggests lack of restraint or excessive enjoyment.
"After the tasting, the guests seemed determined to gourmandize every delicacy on the table."
"They gourmandized the roasted lamb, the roasted vegetables, and then reached for the remaining bread."
"Unable to resist the dessert table, he continued gourmandizing well after everyone else had finished."
It began in French as an appetite or greed; English turned that appetite into an unmistakably greedy action.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gourmandize come from?
English borrowed gourmandize from French gourmandise, a word associated with appetite, greed, and a taste for eating. Its deeper roots lie in French gourmand, meaning a greedy or voracious eater, which is related to gourmet through the Old French language of tasting. English adapted the French noun into a verb describing greedy eating. The -ize spelling is now particularly common in American English, although the -ise variant is also established.
Related word forms
How gourmandize is actually used
The word is often humorous or mildly disapproving rather than neutral. The -ize spelling is especially common in North American English, while the -ise form is also accepted in British usage.
Easily confused with gourmandize
A gourmet is a person with refined taste in food, whereas gourmandize is the act of eating greedily.