ARDOR Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

ardor

noun

ˈär-dər

Definition of ardor next

as in enthusiasm

depth of feeling candidates for citizenship reciting the oath of allegiance to the United States with all the ardor that they could muster

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in thirst

urgent desire or interest his ardor for combat cooled once he began experiencing the horrors of war

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in passion

intense sexual desire her revealing outfit only inflamed his ardor all the more

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

frigidity

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 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 As an alternative, de Meo has pleaded with policymakers to increase demand incentives for cautious European drivers, whose ardor for EVs has cooled in recent years amid inflationary pressures. —

Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 23 May 2024 In their steamiest moments together, Coughlan and Newton emit a tenderness that instantly wipes away any doubts a viewer could possibly have about the characters’ ardor for each other. —

Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for ardor

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ardor

Noun

Biden left the race in late July, endorsing Harris — and she was greeted with a wave of enthusiasm and support as the Democratic Party quickly coalesced around her.

Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
While Democrats and Republicans say the chances of Harris outright winning Iowa are slim, Democrats say the enthusiasm among Hawkeye State women could be indicative of Harris’s support with women across the country.

Julia Manchester, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024