Meaning & use
a fan of
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformal
someone who likes or supports a person, group, or thing
Grammar: Used with 'be': 'I am a fan of...'. The object can be a noun or an -ing form: 'a fan of jazz', 'a fan of reading'.
Patterns
- be a fan of someone
- be a fan of something
- be a fan of doing something
She's a big fan of Korean pop music.
I'm not a fan of horror movies; they scare me too much.
He's a fan of waking up early to exercise.
phrasefixed phraseinformaleuphemistic
used to say you approve of or enjoy something
Grammar: Often in negative: 'I'm not a fan of...' to politely say you dislike something.
Patterns
- not a fan of something
I'm not a fan of this new policy, to be honest.
Are you a fan of spicy food?
Common combinations
- a big fan of
- My brother is a big fan of football.
- not a fan of
- I'm not a fan of cold weather.
- a huge fan of
- She's a huge fan of that author.
Synonyms and how they differ
- supporter
- A supporter actively backs a team or cause, while a fan may just enjoy watching or following.
- enthusiast
- More formal; an enthusiast is very interested in a hobby or subject, not necessarily a celebrity.
Opposites
Commonly confused: a fan of or fan?
a fan of vs fan
As a noun, 'fan' alone means a device that cools you or a person who admires someone. 'A fan of' always needs the preposition 'of' to show the object of admiration.
Practice
I'm not ___ of scary movies; they keep me awake at night.
Choose one answer.
The phrase is 'a fan of', so 'a fan' is needed. 'Fan' alone would be missing the article, 'the fan' would suggest a specific fan, and 'fans' is plural and would not fit with 'I'm not'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a fan of”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.