1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fervent different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of fervent are ardent, fervid, impassioned, passionate, and perfervid. While all these words mean "showing intense feeling," fervent stresses sincerity and steadiness of emotional warmth or zeal.

fervent good wishes

When might ardent be a better fit than fervent?

While in some cases nearly identical to fervent, ardent implies an intense degree of zeal, devotion, or enthusiasm.

an ardent supporter of human rights

Where would fervid be a reasonable alternative to fervent?

While the synonyms fervid and fervent are close in meaning, fervid suggests warmly and spontaneously and often feverishly expressed emotion.

fervid love letters

When is impassioned a more appropriate choice than fervent?

The meanings of impassioned and fervent largely overlap; however, impassioned implies warmth and intensity without violence and suggests fluent verbal expression.

an impassioned plea for justice

When could passionate be used to replace fervent?

The words passionate and fervent can be used in similar contexts, but passionate implies great vehemence and often violence and wasteful diffusion of emotion.

a passionate denunciation

When would perfervid be a good substitute for fervent?

Although the words perfervid and fervent have much in common, perfervid implies the expression of exaggerated or overwrought feelings.

perfervid expressions of patriotism

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fervent The event, held just days before the election, was characterized by its high-profile attendees and the fervent support of the MAGA base. William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 That means that some of the most fervent soccer fans in the world need to be starting their visa process now before World Cup qualifying is complete and approximately nine months before tickets actually go on sale. Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025 The witch in question is Jovovich’s Gray Alys, introduced on the brink of being hanged as a heretic by Ash (Arly Jover), a fervent enforcer in a dystopian future ruled by both a royal house and cult-like church. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025 In the extensive histories of hockey and its most fervent nation, few people are more beloved than Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fervent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fervent
Adjective
  • Sanchez, who described herself as a passionate volleyball player in her youth, talked of girls’ losing coveted spots on teams, and in some cases suffering injuries during games because of trans athletes unfairly competing against them.
    Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
  • The couple alternates between passionate embraces and domestic tension (an ambulance shows up in their driveway, at one point, its whirring red and blue light hinting something sinister has just taken place).
    Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • One idea is that about a million years after the Big Bang, the universe cooled and underwent a phase transition, an event similar to how boiling water turns liquid into gas.
    Yasemin Saplakoglu, Scientific American, 3 Mar. 2020
  • If candy is still stuck on, pour more boiling water over whatever hasn’t come clean.
    Washington Post, Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2019
Adjective
  • Carry a windshield scraper, jumper cables, a small shovel, flashlight, cell phone, blanket and additional warm clothing, drinking water, and high-calorie non-perishable food.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • It’s kept me warm in the cold winter months but has transitioned easily into spring.
    Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The main topic of conversation was how the duo turned a photo album featuring the banal daily activities of workers at Auschwitz-Birkenau into a searing play.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Every actor’s Hamlet is theirs and theirs alone, and Olivier’s is big and hammy and searing and often quite devastating.
    Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • And in the dead of Southern summers, the last thing any sleeper wants to encounter is being hot, and that’s where science steps in.
    Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Wiggins was hot, but the Heat’s leading duo was relatively quiet.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Freeing Prince Charming As an ardent feminist, Cavallo found writing Rebel Girls came so naturally to her that the entire book was written in four months.
    Ashleigh N. DeLuca, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025
  • The other nephew is still an ardent adherent to the cult and has gifted much of his substantial wealth to it.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Ben Johnson has a ‘burning desire’ to be a head coach.
    Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025
  • For answers to more burning questions about Season 2, plus Season 3 clues (including which Season 1 character will be coming back), read Deadline’s interview with The Night Agent showrunner Shawn Ryan.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The sun has once again unleashed a powerful solar flare, continuing its streak of intense activity.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Regional sports networks in general have come under intense pressure as cord-cutting keeps eroding pay-TV subscriptions.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fervent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fervent. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fervent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!