gormandize: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal/Literary/Humorous
Quick answer
What does “gormandize” mean?
To eat food greedily or voraciously, especially in large quantities.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To eat food greedily or voraciously, especially in large quantities.
To consume anything with excessive eagerness or avidity; to indulge in something (not just food) to an immoderate degree.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The variant 'gormandise' is the standard British spelling. 'Gormandize' is the standard American spelling. The concept and usage are identical.
Connotations
Equally negative and literary in both variants.
Frequency
Equally rare in both dialects, primarily found in literary contexts or for humorous/pejorative effect.
Grammar
How to Use “gormandize” in a Sentence
[Subject] gormandizes (on [Object])[Subject] gormandizes [Object]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gormandize” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- After the marathon, he proceeded to gormandise on an entire roast chicken and a plate of chips.
- The critics accused the novel of gormandising on clichés without offering original thought.
American English
- He would gormandize at the all-you-can-eat buffet until he felt sick.
- The film gormandizes on special effects at the expense of character development.
adjective
British English
- The gormandising habits of the nobility were detailed in the satirical pamphlet.
- He gave a gormandising grin as the pudding was brought out.
American English
- His gormandizing tendencies were the talk of the family reunion.
- She watched his gormandizing approach to the dessert table with mild disgust.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rare, potentially in historical or sociological texts about consumption.
Everyday
Very rare; used humorously or critically among educated speakers.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gormandize”
- Misspelling as 'gourmandize' (though historically related, 'gormandize' is the standard modern spelling for the gluttonous act).
- Using it in a positive or neutral context.
- Confusing it with the noun 'gourmand' (which can be neutral).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Gourmand' is a noun for a person who enjoys eating, sometimes to excess, but can have a neutral or even positive connotation of being a food lover. 'Gormandize' is a verb describing the specific act of eating greedily and gluttonously, and is always negative.
No, it is a low-frequency, literary word. In everyday speech, words like 'pig out', 'stuff oneself', or 'wolf down' are far more common.
Yes, in an extended or metaphorical sense. It can be used for consuming information, resources, or experiences with the same connotations of greed and lack of restraint (e.g., 'gormandizing on gossip').
The stress is on the first syllable: GOR-mun-dyze. The 'GOR' rhymes with 'for'. In American English, the 'r' in 'gor' is pronounced.
To eat food greedily or voraciously, especially in large quantities.
Gormandize is usually formal/literary/humorous in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a GORilla eating a pile of MANgoes in a messy, greedy way, and then adding more ('-dize' as in 'super-size').
Conceptual Metaphor
HUMAN IS ANIMAL (specifically, a ravenous beast). CONSUMPTION IS CONQUEST/DEVASTATION.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'gormandize' correctly?