noun

smorgasbord

SMAW-gas-bawd

Smorgasbord (noun) means a buffet-style spread of many different dishes laid out for guests to help themselves. Example: “The hotel breakfast was a smorgasbord of pastries, cold meats, and cheeses.”

noun

A buffet-style spread of many different dishes laid out for guests to help themselves.

"The hotel breakfast was a smorgasbord of pastries, cold meats, and cheeses."

"Every dish at the wedding smorgasbord looked more tempting than the last."

By extension, any wide-ranging mixture or selection of things.

"The festival offered a smorgasbord of music styles, from jazz to punk."

How to use smorgasbord

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA big spread of food to pick and choose from, or loosely, any large variety of options.

Common pairings

a smorgasbord of options a lavish smorgasbord

Word forms

smorgasbords plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “smorgasbord” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The hotel breakfast was a _____ of pastries, cold meats, and cheeses.

Etymology

From Swedish smörgåsbord, literally "sandwich table" — smörgås ("sandwich" or "buttered bread") plus bord ("table").

Origin: Swedish

Synonyms

View more →

mixture assortment motley potpourri variety mixed bag miscellany salmagundi miscellanea

Related words

kind type various sort species collection mixed combination

Frequently asked questions

What does “smorgasbord” mean?

The word “smorgasbord” means a buffet-style spread of many different dishes laid out for guests to help themselves. In plain terms, a big spread of food to pick and choose from, or loosely, any large variety of options.

How do you pronounce “smorgasbord”?

“Smorgasbord” is pronounced SMAW-gas-bawd (/ˈsmɔɹɡəsˌbɔɹd/ in IPA).

How do you use “smorgasbord” in a sentence?

Here is “smorgasbord” used in a sentence: “The hotel breakfast was a smorgasbord of pastries, cold meats, and cheeses.”

What part of speech is “smorgasbord”?

“Smorgasbord” is a noun.

Where does the word “smorgasbord” come from?

The word “smorgasbord” comes from Swedish. From Swedish smörgåsbord, literally "sandwich table" — smörgås ("sandwich" or "buttered bread") plus bord ("table").

How many meanings does “smorgasbord” have?

“Smorgasbord” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a buffet-style spread of many different dishes laid out for guests to help themselves.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include smorgasbord:

Words with scandinavian origins

People also searched

kind type various sort species collection mixed combination