gourmand
UK: ˈɡʊəmɑ̃ː | US: ɡʊrˈmɑːnd
n. a person who enjoys eating and often eats too much
n. a connoisseur of good food (less common, sometimes confused with gourmet)
The word gourmand traces back to Old French gourmant, derived from gourmer ("to taste or relish food"), likely influenced by Latin gula ("throat, gluttony"). Originally, it carried a neutral or positive connotation (a lover of food), but in English, it gradually emphasized excess, overlapping with "glutton." The suffix -and (from French -ant) marks the agent, akin to -er in English (e.g., command → commander). Unlike gourmet (refined taste), gourmand leans toward quantity over quality, though modern usage sometimes blurs this distinction.
The buffet attracted every gourmand in the city.
Though a gourmand, he surprisingly avoided desserts.
She wrote a food blog not as a gourmet but as an unapologetic gourmand.
Critics accused the king of being a gourmand who drained the royal coffers on feasts.
The term gourmand in French still retains more positive nuances than its English counterpart.