Definition of ferventnext
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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 slur has been an unwelcome feature at matches involving Mexico and its fervent fans for two decades, though it is not limited to El Tri. Carlos Rodriguez, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026 May Mailman, who last year coördinated the White House’s higher-education policy as a deputy for Stephen Miller, told me that McMahon made a different impression from other, more fervent Administration figures. Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 This propulsive documentary follows Climate Defiance and founder Michael Greenberg’s unabashedly disruptive protests, expressing their fervent and urgent demands for climate action in the spaces — and faces — of industry executives and politicians exacerbating the crisis. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026 The reality is that Medicare and Social Security enjoy fervent public support. Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fervent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fervent
Adjective
  • The situation involving Stamps is noteworthy in part because her mother, Marion Nzinga Stamps, was a passionate community activist at the Cabrini-Green public housing complex who was known to confront officials to press her case.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
  • The somms here are passionate and eager to help find the right wine for you.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026
Adjective
  • More humane methods of killing lobsters pre-boiling include a sharp knife through the head, electrical stunning, or freezing.
    semafor.com, semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025
  • Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life.
    Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Chris and Clare have written an incredibly funny and warm screenplay and Avgousta’s vision and experience promise to make this an enduring festive film.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 6 May 2026
  • Ly notes these are often warm, high-friction areas with dense apocrine glands.
    Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 May 2026
Adjective
  • Steppenwolf and Circle Rep, with their combination of theatrical fearlessness, searing intensity and rabid teamwork, helped shape Mantello’s aesthetic.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
  • Mikey lambastes him anyway, turning a speech in praise of Richie into a searing evisceration.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2026
Adjective
  • At Fox, Collier became known for his passional embrace of blockchain, NFTs and the whole Web3 space.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Nov. 2022
Adjective
  • Datskovska regularly reports on the season’s hottest accessories and how to acquire them online.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
  • The signature treatment is the dotsho, or hot stone bath, a ritual locals have practiced for generations to ease joint pain, arthritis, and the toll of long winters spent farming.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
Adjective
  • Kennedy, who has no background in science, medicine, or public health, is well known as an ardent anti-vaccine activist and peddler of conspiracy theories.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
  • This is a lovely film that will appeal to Bernstein’s most ardent fans, while warmly inviting neophytes into his world.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Please tell me the sequel could answer the most burning question of the ’00s: How could Austin not recognize Sam in that mask?
    Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Cooper, 30, asked Hargitay one more burning question about the actors' on-screen alter egos: will Olivia and Elliot ever end up together?
    Victoria Edel, People.com, 26 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fervent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fervent. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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