Penchant

Practice This Word

A strong liking or habitual tendency toward a particular thing; a tendency to do something.

noun

Penchant

A strong liking or habitual tendency toward a particular thing; a tendency to do something.

noun

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Imagine This

Imagine a librarian who, year after year, shelves only mystery novels and makes a point of recommending them to every patron. This persistent preference—always drawn to mysteries—is her penchant.

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Sounds Like

Sounds like 'pen-chant' (PEN-chant, with emphasis on the first syllable).

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Looks Like

Looks like 'pennant' (similar spelling and letter pattern).

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Remember This

Penchant is often followed by for: 'a penchant for something.' The adjective form is rare but exists in some contexts as 'penchanted' (less common).

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Other Forms

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Connect With

inclination, preference, proclivity, predilection, affinity

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Note

Avoid mixing with 'penitent' or 'penitence.' Do not confuse with 'predilection' in some contexts, though they are close in meaning. The standard collocation is 'a penchant for [something].'

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Study Deeper

Examples

She has a penchant for ornate, vintage jewelry.
His penchant for spicy foods led him to seek out authentic Sichuan cuisine.

Synonyms

fondnesslikinginclinationproclivitypredilection

Antonyms

aversiondisinclinationreluctance

Etymology

From French penchant 'leaning, inclination', from pencher 'to incline', from Latin pendere 'to weigh' (to hang, weigh).

Mnemonic

Mnemonic: Imagine an enchanted pen that CHANTS as it leans toward a favorite topic—your penchant is your natural inclination or leaning toward something.

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Amorphous

adjective

Having no definite form or shape; lacking a clear structure.

Entrench

verb

To establish or fortify a position, belief, or habit so that it becomes difficult to change; to surround or secure a position by digging trenches.

Toxic

adjective

Poisonous; capable of causing harm to living beings. It is also used figuratively to describe something harmful, destructive, or dangerous in a non-physical sense (for example, a toxic relationship).