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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun ardor differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ardor are enthusiasm, fervor, passion, and zeal. While all these words mean "intense emotion compelling action," ardor suggests warm and excited feeling likely to be fitful or short-lived.

the ardor of their honeymoon soon faded

Where would enthusiasm be a reasonable alternative to ardor?

While the synonyms enthusiasm and ardor are close in meaning, enthusiasm applies to lively or eager interest in or admiration for a proposal, cause, or activity.

never showed much enthusiasm for sports

When is fervor a more appropriate choice than ardor?

The meanings of fervor and ardor largely overlap; however, fervor implies a warm and steady emotion.

read the poem aloud with great fervor

When is it sensible to use passion instead of ardor?

While in some cases nearly identical to ardor, passion applies to an emotion that is deeply stirring or ungovernable.

was a slave to his passions

When might zeal be a better fit than ardor?

The synonyms zeal and ardor are sometimes interchangeable, but zeal implies energetic and unflagging pursuit of an aim or devotion to a cause.

preaches with fanatical zeal

Examples 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 ardor In this novel of ardor and tested fidelity, Jin, a photographer, finds her life at a standstill. The New Yorker, 22 July 2024 His campaign halted political activities in deference to the sensitivity of the moment, even as aides acknowledged that his opponent’s staring down a bullet would only intensify the MAGA movement’s ardor and maybe strengthen Trump’s advantage in the race. Brian Bennett, TIME, 21 July 2024 Can Paris deliver on the ardor, the enthusiasm Macron promised that day in Lausanne and provide a springboard to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles? Scott M. Reid, Orange County Register, 19 July 2024 But any non-cynic can’t help but be swept up in its doomed ardor. 53. Will Leitch, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ardor 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ardor
Noun
  • Corbet found the swell of advance enthusiasm gratifying, if bewildering.
    Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
  • It’s been a confounding situation, where the ever-shrinking audience — and mostly bad reviews alongside low audience scores — didn’t seem to shrink Sony’s enthusiasm to keep pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into a plan that nobody besides them had confidence or interest in.
    Mark Hughes, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Humanity’s long history of division continues, but so, too, does its beauty, creativity and thirst for meaning.
    Jason Rudy, Baltimore Sun, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Consuming large amounts of sodium can cause excessive thirst, urination, vomiting and diarrhea.
    Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • As a lifelong car enthusiast Karl has combined his passion for personal transportation with his passion for ...
    Karl Brauer, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
  • One of the apprentices, who had a passion for adding saffron to the molten glass, hit on the idea of making the plain risotto for the wedding dinner turn gold like his windows.
    Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Amidst the intensity of meeting tight deadlines and working at an optimum level for extended periods, Kathy believes a necessary element of ‘fun’ is missing from the equation.
    Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Energy to pump freshwater to shore through long subsea pipes can be supplied by renewable sources, resulting in a process with about half the energy intensity of conventional desalination.
    Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Scott’s Tom Ripley was a clean break from that of Matt Damon; instead of a petulant pretty boy seized by envy and lust, this Ripley was older (Scott is in his late forties) and scarier, a lonesome manipulator with a murderous gleam in his eye.
    Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Slater’s mansion is terra-cotta red, which in cinematic color theory signals danger and lust; the snakes on the island are yellow, for sickness and deceit.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • There are also gender-role stereotypes that impact people's understanding of how they are 'allowed' or expected to grieve and show emotion, based on what has been deemed 'acceptable' in society.
    David Oliver, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Share your feelings Be honest about your emotions, too.
    Sarah Vanbuskirk, Parents, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • But the country could be split in two by warmth and cold in the run up to the big day.
    Mary Gilbert, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
  • Lake Michigan water levels drop to lowest in years amid warmth and lack of rain In July 2020, Lake Michigan nearly broke its record high.
    Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near ardor

Cite this Entry

“Ardor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ardor. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on ardor

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