Word
fondly
Phoneticsfond·ly
US/ˈfɑndɫi/
UK/fˈɒndli/
Definition
adv. in a way that shows you like or love someone or something very much. You use this when you are thinking about happy memories from the past.
adv. in a manner expressing affection, tenderness, or warm approval. Often modifies verbs related to memory, speech, or thought.
Examples
“She smiled fondly at her old dog.”
“He spoke fondly of his childhood summers spent at his grandparents' farm by the sea.”
“Even decades after leaving the company, the retired engineers looked back fondly on the era of rapid innovation that defined their early careers.”
Examples
simple
“She smiled fondly at her old dog.”
contextual
“He spoke fondly of his childhood summers spent at his grandparents' farm by the sea.”
complex
“Even decades after leaving the company, the retired engineers looked back fondly on the era of rapid innovation that defined their early careers.”
Usage
Typically follows the verb it modifies or sits at the end of the clause.
Real-World Examples
“Plus, she did a fine turn in Friends and a number of us remember Suddenly Susan very fondly.” “I fondly remember teaching many young students how to tie a half windsor or a bowtie.” Etymology
From Middle English fondly, fondely, fonnedli, equivalent to fond + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fondly