Penchant – English Vocabulary Lesson # 122

You may have a strong inclination towards something or a tendency for doing something, like pursuing a hobby as you enjoy it very much. The word ‘penchant’ basically means a strong liking or a habit. It is a preference or a desire for doing things in a certain way that others may find very annoying.So when you are really fond of, or fancy something, you have a penchant for it. The word ‘penchant’ is a noun and it has originated from the French language. For example, if you have a penchant for gizmos, you keep talking about it to your friends even though you know it annoys them. It means you are a gizmo freak and have a strong and constant liking for gadgets so much so, that you keep yourself updated with the newest arrivals in the market. If a boy loves reading History books all the time, he has developed a penchant for History and has a bias towards it. Okay, now that you know what ‘penchant’ means, let’s take a look at some example sentences to see how you can use it in your daily conversation.  Example 01: Lisa’s penchant for reading for long hours at the coffee shop kept her away from her household chores. Example 02: Harry’s penchant for drinking alcohol has grown into a strong addiction; he now even drinks secretly at work. Example 03: His wife’s penchant for shopping resulted in high bills that were paid through Peter’s credit card. Example 04:Samantha’s dream of opening a small bakery came from her penchant for baking. Example 05: Father encouraged his son to pursue his penchant for playing the guitar. Example 06:  His penchant for speeding and reckless bike riding made Walter popular amongst the girls in his university. Example 07: Her passion and penchant for teaching, made Mrs. Baker one of the most popular and loved teachers in the primary school. Example 08: To pass time productively, the retired couple took to painting and finally developed a penchant for it. Example 09: With their strong penchant for animals, Amy and her sister started adopting stray dogs and sheltered them in their house.

 What do you have a penchant for?