epicure implies fastidiousness and voluptuousness of taste.
gourmet implies being a connoisseur in food and drink and the discriminating enjoyment of them.
gourmand implies a hearty appetite for good food and drink, not without discernment, but with less than a gourmet's.
gastronome implies that one has studied extensively the history and rituals of haute cuisine.
Example Sentences
Noun food critics have to be gourmets in order to write about food in an informed way
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Two blocks west at the Euro Food Depot, a handful of customers wearing blue Qualcomm lanyards browsed the aisles of the small import market selling hard-to-find gourmet items from France like chestnut spread, pork rillettes and foie gras mousse. Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, 1 Mar. 2018 Drai's rooftop playhouse offers music lovers 30,000 square feet of slip-proof pool deck to get low on, plus luxury cabanas, day beds, two full-service bars, palm trees and a full-service gourmet cafe. Kat Bein, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2018 An Alaskan might forgo a latte to pay $5 for a single perfect Sumo mandarin orange, flown in by New Sagaya, the city’s largest gourmet market. Julia O’malley, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2018 The restaurant offers made-from-scratch gourmet mac and cheese in 15 varieties, such as pizza mac and cheese, Philly cheesesteak mac and cheese and goat cheese mac and cheese. Megan Becka, cleveland.com, 20 Feb. 2018 In the main area, guests dined on meatballs, gourmet chicken wings and all manner of fruit. The Masked Observer, AL.com, 14 Feb. 2018 Free activities for kids, unlimited mimosas for $10 and live music, local produce, plants, exotic flowers, herbs, baked goods, gourmet foods, teas, coffee and specialty pet products at the Waterfront Commons in downtown West Palm Beach. Jennifer Jhon, South Florida Parenting, 14 Feb. 2018 Dean & Deluca, the Kansas gourmet chain with stores uptown and in SouthPark, expanded its selection of meat, seafood and produce last spring at its Phillips Place store. Katherine Peralta, charlotteobserver, 13 Feb. 2018 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
French, from Middle French, alteration of gromet boy servant, vintner's assistant, probably ultimately from Middle English grom groom