glutton

¹ American  

[gluht-n] / ˈglʌt n /

noun

1. a person who eats and drinks excessively or voraciously.

   Synonyms:

   chowhound, gastronome, gourmand

2. a person with a remarkably great desire or capacity for something.

   a glutton for work;

   a glutton for punishment.

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glutton ² American  

[gluht-n] / ˈglʌt n /

noun

1. the wolverine, Gulo gulo, of Europe.

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glutton ¹ British  

/ ˈɡlʌtən /

noun

1. a person devoted to eating and drinking to excess; greedy person

2. ironic a person who has or appears to have a voracious appetite for something

   a glutton for punishment

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glutton ² British  

/ ˈɡlʌtən /

noun

1. another name for wolverine

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Other Word Forms

• gluttonous adjective
• gluttonously adverb

Etymology

Origin of glutton¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English glutun, from Old French glouton, from Latin gluttōn-, stem of gluttō, variant of glūtō, akin to glūtīre “to gulp down”

Origin of glutton²

First recorded in 1665–75; translation of German Vielfraß, from viel “much” (cognate with obsolete English fele; plus ( def. ) ) + fraß “eater” (noun derivative of fressen “to eat” (used of animals); fress ( def. ), fret ¹ ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

He was a large man, over 6 feet tall, and, we learn from Mr. Margolick, a glutton.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

She’s boisterous but not a glutton for attention.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2024

The budding chain would appear to be an opportunity for Taffer to put his money where his big mouth is, though you have to wonder if the man is, perhaps, just a glutton for punishment.

From Washington Post • Oct. 17, 2022

If you're a glutton for gluten, you're not alone; last year, Girl Scouts revealed they sold over 900,000 boxes of cookies.

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2022

“Anansi is a glutton for stories,” I muttered.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia