smorgasbord

IPA/ˈsmɔːɡəsbɔːd/
KK[smˈɔrɡəsbˌɔrd]IPA/ˈsmɔːrɡəsbɔːrd/

smorgasbord — noun

  • smorgasbordsingular
  • smorgasbordsplural

1. a buffet-style meal where numerous cold items and warm dishes are set out for pe

1.nounC1
Definition

a buffet-style meal where numerous cold items and warm dishes are set out for people to help themselves

Example

The hotel served a breakfast smorgasbord with fruit, eggs, fish, and bread.

smorgasbord with + list of dishes

At Mina's wedding, guests returned twice to the smorgasbord by the lake.

Common collocations
  • breakfast smorgasbord
  • seafood smorgasbord
  • serve a smorgasbord
  • fill your plate from the smorgasbord
Synonyms
  • buffet

    the most neutral word for a self-serve meal

  • spread

    more informal and stresses how much food is on the table

  • feast

    highlights abundance or celebration rather than serving style

Grammar Patterns

a smorgasbord with [foods]

the smorgasbord at [event/place]

Usage Note

Usually refers to a rich self-serve meal laid out for a group, often at a hotel, party, or celebration. In everyday speech, plain 'buffet' is more neutral, while 'smorgasbord' sounds more vivid and slightly old-fashioned.

Common Mistakes

The cafe's smorgasbord was a bowl of soup and a sandwich.
The cafe served a simple meal, not a smorgasbord.
smorgasbord suggests many dishes laid out together, not one small serving.

2. a big mixed collection of options, ideas, or activities presented together, ofte

2.nounC2
Definition

a big mixed collection of options, ideas, or activities presented together, often creating a rich or slightly overwhelming choice

Example

The festival programme is a smorgasbord of films, talks, concerts, and classes.

a smorgasbord of + plural nouns

The TV package gives us a smorgasbord of sport, news, films, and cartoons.

Common collocations
  • a smorgasbord of choices
  • a smorgasbord of ideas
  • offer a smorgasbord
  • a cultural smorgasbord
Synonyms
  • range

    more neutral and less colourful

  • assortment

    slightly more formal and focused on a mixed set

  • mix

    more everyday and less expressive than 'smorgasbord'

Grammar Patterns

a smorgasbord of [plural nouns]

offer a smorgasbord of [things]

Usage Note

Common in writing about media, events, and choices. It often adds a playful sense of abundance, unlike more neutral words such as 'range' or 'selection'.

Common Mistakes

The app is a smorgasbord of grammar exercises only.
The app has many grammar exercises, but it is not a smorgasbord.
smorgasbord suggests several kinds of things mixed together, not many copies of one type.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For food, smorgasbord overlaps with buffet, spread, feast, and banquet, but the tone is different. 'Buffet' is the most neutral word for a meal where people serve themselves, whether it is casual or formal. 'Smorgasbord' suggests a table crowded with many cold and hot choices and often sounds more colourful or slightly old-fashioned. 'Spread' is informal and focuses on the attractive amount of food laid out, even if people are not lining up to serve themselves. 'Feast' highlights abundance or celebration rather than the serving method. 'Banquet' is the most formal word and usually means a large ceremonial meal with seated guests. For a hotel breakfast, 'buffet' is normal; for a rich, overflowing display, 'smorgasbord' is more vivid.

buffet ↗spread ↗feast ↗banquet ↗

Etymology

SwedishEnglish

Borrowed from Swedish 'smörgåsbord', first naming a table set with bread, butter, fish, and other cold dishes. English kept the meal sense and later extended it to mean any rich mixed collection of things. The Swedish form joins 'smörgås' (an open sandwich or bread with toppings) and 'bord' (table).

First known use

1873

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1