fondly
gb/fˈɑndli/ us/fˈɑndli/
B2
English
~ 7700
szeretettel, naivan, balgán
B2
1
szeretettel
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] [verb] fondly at/of/about [someone/something]
He smiled fondly at his grandchildren as they played on the floor.
Szeretettel mosolygott az unokáira, miközben a padlón játszottak.
She still speaks fondly of her first teacher, even after many years.
Sok év után is szeretettel beszél az első tanáráról.
They remembered their time living abroad fondly, despite the difficulties.
Whenever he hears that song, he thinks fondly of his college days.
The coach looked fondly at the team he had trained for so long.
Learner examples
The old man looked fondly at his wife.
Az idős férfi szeretettel nézett a feleségére.
I remember my grandfather very fondly.
Nagy szeretettel emlékszem a nagyapámra.
She talks fondly about her hometown.
He thinks fondly of his first dog.
They all smiled fondly at the baby.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes write *"with fondly"* instead of using "fondly" as an adverb. Correct: "She remembers him fondly" (not "with fondly"). Another common mistake is confusing "fondly" with the adjective "fond": "He is fond of her" (adjective) vs. "He speaks fondly of her" (adverb).
Meaning
In a loving, affectionate way
Collocations
smile fondly
|remember fondly
|think fondly of
|look back fondly
|recall fondly
|regard fondly
Synonyms
affectionately (Very close in meaning; slightly more formal and common in writing.)
|
warmly (Can suggest general friendliness as well as affection, not always as emotionally deep as "fondly".)
Antonyms
coldly (Shows a lack of warmth or affection, often with emotional distance.)
|
indifferently (Suggests no special feelings, the opposite of caring or fond feelings.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|memory
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In a warm and loving way, showing that you care a lot about someone or something, even when you only think about them in your mind.
In a warm, loving, or caring manner, showing affection or deep liking for someone or something, including when remembering them.
C1
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] fondly [verb] that [clause]
He fondly imagined that the problem would solve itself if he ignored it.
Naivan azt képzelte, hogy a probléma magától megoldódik, ha nem vesz róla tudomást.
They fondly believed that success would come without any real effort.
Naivan azt hitték, hogy a siker valódi erőfeszítés nélkül is eljön.
She fondly supposed that all her friends would agree with her plan.
Learner examples
He fondly imagined that he would be famous in one week.
Naivan azt képzelte, hogy egy hét alatt híres lesz.
They fondly believed that money would not be a problem.
Naivan azt hitték, hogy a pénz nem lesz gond.
She fondly supposed that everyone would like her idea.
Meaning
In a naive, unrealistic way
Collocations
fondly imagine
|fondly suppose
|fondly believe
Synonyms
naively (Very close in meaning; focuses on lack of experience or realism rather than emotion.)
|
foolishly (Stronger criticism than "fondly"; suggests poor judgment rather than gentle, unrealistic hope.)
Antonyms
realistically (Opposite because it means thinking in a practical, fact-based way instead of with naive hope.)
Themes
thinking
|judgment
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In a naive or silly way, when someone believes something that is not realistic; used mainly in formal or older writing.
In a way that shows naive or foolish hope or belief, especially when the belief is unrealistic; now rare and mainly used in literary style.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fondly
IPA
GB/fˈɑndli/
US/fˈɑndli/
Syllables & stress
fondly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fondly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fondly
- Plural: fondlies
Word family
Expressions
fondly imagine
1/fˈɑndli ɪmˈæd͡ʒən/
fixed phrase
literary
Naively believe something unlikely
To believe something that is probably not true or not realistic, in a naive or hopeful way.
Examples
- They fondly imagined that fame would bring them only happiness.
- I once fondly imagined that exams would get easier every year.
look back fondly
1/lˈʊk bˈæk fˈɑndli/
fixed phrase
Think about the past with affection
To think about a time in the past with happy and warm feelings.
Examples
- He looks back fondly on his years in the small village.
- Despite the hard work, she looks back fondly at her first job.
remember fondly
1/ɹɪmˈɛmbɚ fˈɑndli/
fixed phrase
Recall with affection
To think about someone or something from the past with warm and loving feelings.
Examples
- She will always remember fondly the summers she spent at her grandparents' house.
- Many students remember fondly the teacher who first believed in them.