gourmet

See also: Gourmet

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French gourmet, from Middle French gourmet, from Old French groumet (“wine broker, valet in charge of wines, servant”) from groume, grommes (“wine-taster, manservant”), apparently from Middle English grom, grome (“boy, valet, servant”), from Old English *grōm (“male child, boy, youth”), akin to Old English grōwan (“to grow”). Cognate of Spanish grumete and Catalan grumet. More at groom.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ɡʊɹˈmeɪ/, /ˈɡʊɹmeɪ/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡʊəmeɪ/, /ˈɡɔːmeɪ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪ

Adjective

gourmet (not comparable)

1. (of food and drink) Fine; of superior quality. [from 1820]

   We need to go to the gourmet grocery store to get the exotic ingredients for this recipe.

   The restaurant offered gourmet coffee and cigars after the meal.

   • 1994, Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Pulp Fiction, spoken by Jules (Samuel Jackson):

     [On the coffee] Mmm! God damn, Jimmie! This is some serious gourmet shit!

Usage notes

Gourmet has become somewhat debased by marketing usage, and is considered by some a pretentious middlebrow term. Such users tend to prefer terms such as artisanal (emphasizing the craft) for fine food.

Coordinate terms

• artisanal

Derived terms

• gourmania
• gourmetish
• gourmetism
• gourmetlike
• gourmet pizza
• nongourmet

Translations

fine, of superior quality (of food and drink)

• Bulgarian: деликатесен (delikatesen)
• Dutch: voor fijnproevers, culinair (nl)
• Finnish: gourmet (fi), gurmee
• French: gastronomique (fr)
• German: Feinschmecker-, Genießer-, Feinkost-
• Portuguese: gourmet (pt)
• Spanish: gourmet
• Swedish: gourmet-, gourmé-

Noun

gourmet (plural gourmets)

1. A connoisseur in eating and drinking; someone who takes their food seriously.
   • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 247:

     The vulvae of the sow were popular as a gourmet's dish. Credited with erotic effects.

Usage notes

Gourmet emphasizes interest in quality of food and enjoyment of eating, sometimes to an obsessive degree: someone who “lives to eat rather than eating to live”. By contrast, a gourmand is someone more interested in quantity of food than quality of food.

Synonyms

• foodie
• gourmand

Translations

a person who appreciates good food

• Arabic: ذَوَّاق m (ḏawwāq)
• Bulgarian: чревоугодник (bg) m (črevougodnik)
• Catalan: gurmet (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 美食家 (zh) (měishíjiā), 美食者 (měishízhě)

• Czech: labužník (cs) m, gurmán (cs) m
• Dutch: gastronoom (nl) m, gastronome (nl) f, fijnproever (nl) m, fijnproefster f, kenner van de keuken m
• Finnish: herkuttelija (fi), herkkusuu (fi), gurmandi
• French: gourmet (fr) m, gastronome (fr), fine gueule (fr), dégustateur (fr) m, gourmand (fr) m, gourmande (fr) f
• Georgian: გურმანი (gurmani)
• German: Feinschmecker (de) m, Feinschmeckerin (de) f, Gourmet (de) m, Genießer (de) m
• Greek: καλοφαγάς (el) m (kalofagás)

  Ancient Greek: ὀψοφάγος m (opsophágos)

• Hungarian: ínyenc (hu)
• Icelandic: sælkeri (is) m
• Irish: beadaí (ga) m
• Italian: buongustaio (it)
• Japanese: 食通 (ja) (shokutsū), 美食家 (ja) (bishoku-ka), グルメ (ja) (gurume)
• Korean: 식통(食通) (siktong), 미식가(美食家) (ko) (misikga)
• Latvian: gardēdis m, gardēde f, gastronoms m, gastronome f
• Macedonian: сладокусец m (sladokusec)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: feinschmecker m, matskjønner m, gastronom m, gourmet m

  Nynorsk: finsmakar m, matskjønar m, gastronom m, gourmet m

• Polish: smakosz (pl) m, smakoszka f
• Portuguese: gourmet (pt) m or f, gastrónomo m (Portugal), gastrônomo m (Brazil)
• Russian: гурма́н (ru) m (gurmán), гастроно́м (ru) m (gastronóm), ла́комка (ru) m or f (lákomka)
• Serbo-Croatian: fàjnšmeker (sh) m
• Spanish: gastrónomo m, sibarita (es) m or f, gourmet m or f, goloso (es) m
• Swedish: finsmakare (sv) c, matkännare c, gastronom (sv) c, läckergom (sv) c, gourmet (sv) c, gourmé (sv) c
• Thai: นักกิน (nák-gin)
• Turkish: gurme (tr), tatbilir (tr)
• Ukrainian: гурма́н m (hurmán), гурма́нка f (hurmánka)

See also

• gourmand
• haute cuisine

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɣuːrˈmɛt/, /ɡuːrˈmɛt/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French gourmet.

Noun

gourmet m (plural gourmets, diminutive gourmetje n)

1. a person of refined palate for food and drink, a gourmet, a foodie
2. a kind of festive meal, similar to raclette or Chinese hot pot, prepared at the table by the diners in individual pots heated by a raclette grill

Derived terms

• gourmetten
• gourmetpan
• gourmetset

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

gourmet

1. inflection of gourmetten:
   1. first/second/third-person singular present indicative
   2. imperative

Finnish

Etymology

From French gourmet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡurmeː/, [ˈɡurme̞ː]
• Rhymes: -urmeː
• Syllabification^(key): gour‧met
• Hyphenation^(key): gour‧met

Adjective

gourmet

1. alternative form of gurmee

Declension

Inflection of gourmet (Kotus type 22/parfait, no gradation)
nominative		gourmet	gourmet’t
genitive		gourmet’n	gourmet’iden gourmet’itten
partitive		gourmet’ta	gourmet’ita
illative		gourmet’hen	gourmet’ihin
		singular	plural
nominative		gourmet	gourmet’t
accusative	nom.	gourmet	gourmet’t
	gen.	gourmet’n
genitive		gourmet’n	gourmet’iden gourmet’itten
partitive		gourmet’ta	gourmet’ita
inessive		gourmet’ssa	gourmet’issa
elative		gourmet’sta	gourmet’ista
illative		gourmet’hen	gourmet’ihin
adessive		gourmet’lla	gourmet’illa
ablative		gourmet’lta	gourmet’ilta
allative		gourmet’lle	gourmet’ille
essive		gourmet’na	gourmet’ina
translative		gourmet’ksi	gourmet’iksi
abessive		gourmet’tta	gourmet’itta
instructive		—	gourmet’in
comitative		—	gourmet’ine

Possessive forms of gourmet (Kotus type 22/parfait, no gradation)
Rare. Only used with substantive adjectives.
first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative gourmet’ni gourmet’ni accusative nom. gourmet’ni gourmet’ni gen. gourmet’ni genitive gourmet’ni gourmet’ideni gourmet’itteni partitive gourmet’tani gourmet’itani inessive gourmet’ssani gourmet’issani elative gourmet’stani gourmet’istani illative gourmet’heni gourmet’ihini adessive gourmet’llani gourmet’illani ablative gourmet’ltani gourmet’iltani allative gourmet’lleni gourmet’illeni essive gourmet’nani gourmet’inani translative gourmet’kseni gourmet’ikseni abessive gourmet’ttani gourmet’ittani instructive — — comitative — gourmet’ineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative gourmet’si gourmet’si accusative nom. gourmet’si gourmet’si gen. gourmet’si genitive gourmet’si gourmet’idesi gourmet’ittesi partitive gourmet’tasi gourmet’itasi inessive gourmet’ssasi gourmet’issasi elative gourmet’stasi gourmet’istasi illative gourmet’hesi gourmet’ihisi adessive gourmet’llasi gourmet’illasi ablative gourmet’ltasi gourmet’iltasi allative gourmet’llesi gourmet’illesi essive gourmet’nasi gourmet’inasi translative gourmet’ksesi gourmet’iksesi abessive gourmet’ttasi gourmet’ittasi instructive — — comitative — gourmet’inesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative gourmet’mme gourmet’mme accusative nom. gourmet’mme gourmet’mme gen. gourmet’mme genitive gourmet’mme gourmet’idemme gourmet’ittemme partitive gourmet’tamme gourmet’itamme inessive gourmet’ssamme gourmet’issamme elative gourmet’stamme gourmet’istamme illative gourmet’hemme gourmet’ihimme adessive gourmet’llamme gourmet’illamme ablative gourmet’ltamme gourmet’iltamme allative gourmet’llemme gourmet’illemme essive gourmet’namme gourmet’inamme translative gourmet’ksemme gourmet’iksemme abessive gourmet’ttamme gourmet’ittamme instructive — — comitative — gourmet’inemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative gourmet’nne gourmet’nne accusative nom. gourmet’nne gourmet’nne gen. gourmet’nne genitive gourmet’nne gourmet’idenne gourmet’ittenne partitive gourmet’tanne gourmet’itanne inessive gourmet’ssanne gourmet’issanne elative gourmet’stanne gourmet’istanne illative gourmet’henne gourmet’ihinne adessive gourmet’llanne gourmet’illanne ablative gourmet’ltanne gourmet’iltanne allative gourmet’llenne gourmet’illenne essive gourmet’nanne gourmet’inanne translative gourmet’ksenne gourmet’iksenne abessive gourmet’ttanne gourmet’ittanne instructive — — comitative — gourmet’inenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative gourmet’nsa gourmet’nsa accusative nom. gourmet’nsa gourmet’nsa gen. gourmet’nsa genitive gourmet’nsa gourmet’idensa gourmet’ittensa partitive gourmet’taan gourmet’tansa gourmet’itaan gourmet’itansa inessive gourmet’ssaan gourmet’ssansa gourmet’issaan gourmet’issansa elative gourmet’staan gourmet’stansa gourmet’istaan gourmet’istansa illative gourmet’hensa gourmet’ihinsa adessive gourmet’llaan gourmet’llansa gourmet’illaan gourmet’illansa ablative gourmet’ltaan gourmet’ltansa gourmet’iltaan gourmet’iltansa allative gourmet’lleen gourmet’llensa gourmet’illeen gourmet’illensa essive gourmet’naan gourmet’nansa gourmet’inaan gourmet’inansa translative gourmet’kseen gourmet’ksensa gourmet’ikseen gourmet’iksensa abessive gourmet’ttaan gourmet’ttansa gourmet’ittaan gourmet’ittansa instructive — — comitative — gourmet’ineen gourmet’inensa

Noun

gourmet

1. alternative form of gurmee

Declension

Inflection of gourmet (Kotus type 22/parfait, no gradation)
nominative		gourmet	gourmet’t
genitive		gourmet’n	gourmet’iden gourmet’itten
partitive		gourmet’ta	gourmet’ita
illative		gourmet’hen	gourmet’ihin
		singular	plural
nominative		gourmet	gourmet’t
accusative	nom.	gourmet	gourmet’t
	gen.	gourmet’n
genitive		gourmet’n	gourmet’iden gourmet’itten
partitive		gourmet’ta	gourmet’ita
inessive		gourmet’ssa	gourmet’issa
elative		gourmet’sta	gourmet’ista
illative		gourmet’hen	gourmet’ihin
adessive		gourmet’lla	gourmet’illa
ablative		gourmet’lta	gourmet’ilta
allative		gourmet’lle	gourmet’ille
essive		gourmet’na	gourmet’ina
translative		gourmet’ksi	gourmet’iksi
abessive		gourmet’tta	gourmet’itta
instructive		—	gourmet’in
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of gourmet (Kotus type 22/parfait, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative gourmet’ni gourmet’ni accusative nom. gourmet’ni gourmet’ni gen. gourmet’ni genitive gourmet’ni gourmet’ideni gourmet’itteni partitive gourmet’tani gourmet’itani inessive gourmet’ssani gourmet’issani elative gourmet’stani gourmet’istani illative gourmet’heni gourmet’ihini adessive gourmet’llani gourmet’illani ablative gourmet’ltani gourmet’iltani allative gourmet’lleni gourmet’illeni essive gourmet’nani gourmet’inani translative gourmet’kseni gourmet’ikseni abessive gourmet’ttani gourmet’ittani instructive — — comitative — gourmet’ineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative gourmet’si gourmet’si accusative nom. gourmet’si gourmet’si gen. gourmet’si genitive gourmet’si gourmet’idesi gourmet’ittesi partitive gourmet’tasi gourmet’itasi inessive gourmet’ssasi gourmet’issasi elative gourmet’stasi gourmet’istasi illative gourmet’hesi gourmet’ihisi adessive gourmet’llasi gourmet’illasi ablative gourmet’ltasi gourmet’iltasi allative gourmet’llesi gourmet’illesi essive gourmet’nasi gourmet’inasi translative gourmet’ksesi gourmet’iksesi abessive gourmet’ttasi gourmet’ittasi instructive — — comitative — gourmet’inesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative gourmet’mme gourmet’mme accusative nom. gourmet’mme gourmet’mme gen. gourmet’mme genitive gourmet’mme gourmet’idemme gourmet’ittemme partitive gourmet’tamme gourmet’itamme inessive gourmet’ssamme gourmet’issamme elative gourmet’stamme gourmet’istamme illative gourmet’hemme gourmet’ihimme adessive gourmet’llamme gourmet’illamme ablative gourmet’ltamme gourmet’iltamme allative gourmet’llemme gourmet’illemme essive gourmet’namme gourmet’inamme translative gourmet’ksemme gourmet’iksemme abessive gourmet’ttamme gourmet’ittamme instructive — — comitative — gourmet’inemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative gourmet’nne gourmet’nne accusative nom. gourmet’nne gourmet’nne gen. gourmet’nne genitive gourmet’nne gourmet’idenne gourmet’ittenne partitive gourmet’tanne gourmet’itanne inessive gourmet’ssanne gourmet’issanne elative gourmet’stanne gourmet’istanne illative gourmet’henne gourmet’ihinne adessive gourmet’llanne gourmet’illanne ablative gourmet’ltanne gourmet’iltanne allative gourmet’llenne gourmet’illenne essive gourmet’nanne gourmet’inanne translative gourmet’ksenne gourmet’iksenne abessive gourmet’ttanne gourmet’ittanne instructive — — comitative — gourmet’inenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative gourmet’nsa gourmet’nsa accusative nom. gourmet’nsa gourmet’nsa gen. gourmet’nsa genitive gourmet’nsa gourmet’idensa gourmet’ittensa partitive gourmet’taan gourmet’tansa gourmet’itaan gourmet’itansa inessive gourmet’ssaan gourmet’ssansa gourmet’issaan gourmet’issansa elative gourmet’staan gourmet’stansa gourmet’istaan gourmet’istansa illative gourmet’hensa gourmet’ihinsa adessive gourmet’llaan gourmet’llansa gourmet’illaan gourmet’illansa ablative gourmet’ltaan gourmet’ltansa gourmet’iltaan gourmet’iltansa allative gourmet’lleen gourmet’llensa gourmet’illeen gourmet’illensa essive gourmet’naan gourmet’nansa gourmet’inaan gourmet’inansa translative gourmet’kseen gourmet’ksensa gourmet’ikseen gourmet’iksensa abessive gourmet’ttaan gourmet’ttansa gourmet’ittaan gourmet’ittansa instructive — — comitative — gourmet’ineen gourmet’inensa

Derived terms

compounds

• gourmetateria
• gourmetravintola
• gourmetruoka

Further reading

• “gourmet”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French gourmet, from Old French groumet (“wine broker, valet in charge of wines, servant”) from Old French grommes (“manservant”), from Middle English grom, grome (“boy, valet, servant”) of unknown origin, perhaps from Old English *grōm (“male child, boy, youth”) from Old English grōwan (“to grow”). Cognate of Spanish grumete and Catalan grumet. More at groom.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡuʁ.mɛ/

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Noun

gourmet m (plural gourmets)

1. (of wines) a wine expert, especially one who is adept at determining the label, date, and sundry other qualities solely by smatch
2. (more commonly) a culinary connoisseur, gourmet

Descendants

• → Danish: gourmet
• → Dutch: gourmet
• → English: gourmet
• → German: Gourmet
• → Japanese: グルメ (gurume)
• → Italian: gourmet
• → Portuguese: gourmet
• → Spanish: gourmet
• → Turkish: gurme

Further reading

• “gourmet”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French gourmet.

Noun

gourmet m or f by sense (invariable)

1. gourmet

Further reading

• “gourmet”, in Vocabolario Treccani on line (in Italian), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 2026

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• gurmê (rare)

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French gourmet.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ɡuʁˈme/ [ɡuɦˈme]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ɡuʁˈme/ [ɡuɦˈme]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ɡuɾˈme/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ɡuʁˈme/
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /ɡuɻˈme/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɡuɾˈme/

• Rhymes: -e

Adjective

gourmet (invariable)

1. (of food) gourmet; fine

Derived terms

• gourmetizar

Noun

gourmet m or f by sense (plural gourmets)

1. gourmet (a person who appreciates good food)

Further reading

• “gourmet”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “gourmet”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “gourmet”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026
• “gourmet”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French gourmet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡuɾˈme/ [ɡuɾˈme], /ɡouɾˈmet/ [ɡou̯ɾˈmet̪]
• Rhymes: -e, -et
• Syllabification: gour‧met

Adjective

gourmet m or f (masculine and feminine plural gourmets)

1. gourmet

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Further reading

• “gourmet”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Noun

gourmet c

1. someone to whom good food is very important; a gourmet

   Synonyms: (less common) gourmé, läckergom

Declension

Declension of gourmet

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	gourmet	gourmets
	definite	gourmeten	gourmetens
plural	indefinite	gourmeter	gourmeters
	definite	gourmeterna	gourmeternas

See also

• finsmakare
• gourmand

References

• “gourmet”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “gourmet”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “gourmet”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)