What does gourmandizing mean?
Gourmandizing is a literary verb for eating greedily or with conspicuous appetite. Rather than merely enjoying a meal, the action suggests excess: someone gourmandizes on delicacies, consumes food voraciously, or indulges without restraint. The word can sound humorous and faintly disapproving, especially when it describes a feast that becomes gluttony, but it may also add an air of gourmand sophistication to an extended meal. It is related to, but not identical with, being a gourmand—a person with a strong appetite for good food—and it should not be confused with gourmet, which usually describes excellent food or a person knowledgeable about it. Gourmandizing is uncommon in everyday neutral English and is chiefly literary, humorous, or deliberately emphatic. American English commonly uses the -izing spelling gourmandizing, while British English often uses gourmandising. Its usefulness lies in naming a specific combination of appetite, pleasure, and excess that the simpler word eating does not convey.
verbTo eat greedily or voraciously; to indulge in eating.
- Indulging in eating greedily, voraciously, or without restraint.
"They spent the afternoon gourmandizing on oysters, cheeses, and rich desserts."
"They spent the afternoon gourmandizing on oysters, cheeses, and rich desserts."
"Her essay describes how the officers gourmandized while the town's grain stores emptied."
Gourmandizing makes a dinner sound delicious and slightly indecent.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How gourmandizing is actually used
This is a literary, uncommon, and sometimes humorous verb. It often carries a faintly disapproving suggestion of excess, although it can also lend an atmosphere of culinary indulgence. British writers commonly use the spelling gourmandising.
Easily confused with gourmandizing
A gourmand is a person with a strong appetite for food, whereas gourmandizing is the activity of eating greedily or indulgently.
Gourmet usually describes food of exceptional quality or a person with refined culinary taste, whereas gourmandizing emphasizes excessive appetite.