Smorgasbord
noun /ˈsmɔː.ɡəs.bɔːd/ — A buffet with a wide variety of dishes; any rich assortment of things.
Definition
A buffet meal offering a wide variety of dishes simultaneously. More broadly: a collection or mixture of things available at the same time; an abundance of variety.
Beyond the definition
The smorgasbord is abundance made democratic — a table that says: take what you want, as much as you want. There is something generous and slightly overwhelming about it. Life as smorgasbord: all of this, for you.
Origin & history
Swedish: 'smörgås' (open sandwich — 'smör' butter + 'gås' goose) + 'bord' (table). Originally referred to a Swedish buffet tradition. Borrowed into English in the 19th century.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The market was a smorgasbord of languages, fabrics, smells, and voices.
Her reading life was a smorgasbord: she never read one genre for long before reaching for something entirely different.
The conference was a smorgasbord of ideas — not all of them good, but collectively stimulating.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Smorgasbord” when the meaning fits your context: A buffet meal offering a wide variety of dishes simultaneously. More broadly: a collection or mixture of things available at the same time; an abundance of variety.
Synonyms
buffet, spread, variety, cornucopia
Antonyms
scarcity, limited menu, restriction
Related words
Smorgasbord vs buffet
A smorgasbord is a specific type of Swedish buffet featuring a wide variety of cold and hot dishes. A buffet is a general term for a meal where guests serve themselves from a communal station.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Illustrative example
The literal meaning
The guests helped themselves to a smorgasbord of fish, salads, cheeses and bread.
A smorgasbord is literally a buffet offering a variety of dishes. The photograph illustrates that abundance; it does not document the sentence.
Image credit: by bigmick · CC BY-SA 2.0 (license)
Resized and converted to WebP; displayed with a fitted crop.
Questions about this word
What does "Smorgasbord" mean?
Smorgasbord is noun meaning: A buffet with a wide variety of dishes; any rich assortment of things.. A buffet meal offering a wide variety of dishes simultaneously. More broadly: a collection or mixture of things available at the same time; an abundance of variety.
Where does the word "Smorgasbord" come from?
Swedish: 'smörgås' (open sandwich — 'smör' butter + 'gås' goose) + 'bord' (table). Originally referred to a Swedish buffet tradition. Borrowed into English in the 19th century.