Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of perfervid are ardent, fervent, fervid, impassioned, and passionate. While all these words mean "showing intense feeling," perfervid implies the expression of exaggerated or overwrought feelings.

perfervid expressions of patriotism

When might ardent be a better fit than perfervid?

The words ardent and perfervid can be used in similar contexts, but ardent implies an intense degree of zeal, devotion, or enthusiasm.

an ardent supporter of human rights

In what contexts can fervent take the place of perfervid?

While in some cases nearly identical to perfervid, fervent stresses sincerity and steadiness of emotional warmth or zeal.

fervent good wishes

When can fervid be used instead of perfervid?

The words fervid and perfervid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fervid suggests warmly and spontaneously and often feverishly expressed emotion.

fervid love letters

When would impassioned be a good substitute for perfervid?

The synonyms impassioned and perfervid are sometimes interchangeable, but impassioned implies warmth and intensity without violence and suggests fluent verbal expression.

an impassioned plea for justice

When is it sensible to use passionate instead of perfervid?

While the synonyms passionate and perfervid are close in meaning, passionate implies great vehemence and often violence and wasteful diffusion of emotion.

a passionate denunciation

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 perfervid The scant paintings on view reverse an emphasis on figurative imagery in the 2019 Biennial, tilting toward a lately prevalent revival of abstraction in perfervid styles that have yet to demonstrate staying power. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022 This latest controversy won’t dent Thomas’s formidable reputation as a jurist, but it’s another mark against his perfervid critics who have no decency. Rich Lowry, National Review, 1 Apr. 2022 So why, with all this perfervid material at her disposal, did the director, Haifaa Al-Mansour, and her co-screenwriter, Emma Jensen, opt for such cautiousness? Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 May 2018 Down south near San Diego, gray-faced children toil in a slave-labor camp that Dickens could not have imagined in his most perfervid dreams. Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 4 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfervid
Adjective
  • Like her older sisters, Hunter is passionate about cheer and tumbling.
    Nasha Smith, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
  • The winery blends tradition with passionate winemaking.
    Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • On the cusp of his second presidency, all of us—from his most fanatical supporters to his most fervent critics—are living in the Age of Trump.
    Sam Jacobs, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The sentiment was echoed on social media by Vice President-elect JD Vance, a fervent critic of American foreign policy overreach.
    Michael Crowley, New York Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • If frostbite occurs, move indoors, remove wet clothing, and soak the affected body part in warm water.
    Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Scientists expect the iceberg to head toward South Georgia island where warmer water is likely to trigger a breakup of the big berg into smaller chunks.
    Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The warm front is a sharp contrast to the close of last week when an arctic surge swept across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with snow squalls, whiteouts and intense bursts of wind that left 20 million Americans under winter weather warnings or advisories.
    Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Becoming a professor requires years and years of intense study, often carried out in isolation and poverty.
    Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Venus’ entrance to Aquarius and your zone of home and roots intensify your need for emotional security.
    USA TODAY, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2024
  • Nostalgia was found to improve emotional wellbeing by increasing their sense of gratitude.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Trump had already nominated Kash Patel, an ardent Trump supporter, to be Wray’s replacement, thus signaling his intent to fire Wray upon taking office.
    Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
  • My own family are ardent supporters of access to telemedicine.
    Judy Stone, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Nobody has been more enthusiastic than Bella Hadid.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
  • While most of the 860-plus comments were congratulatory, many were predictably less enthusiastic.
    Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • World & Nation Rebels seize Damascus; Assad reported to have fled Syria for Moscow Dec. 8, 2024 Syria is home to multiple ethnic and religious communities, often pitted against each other by Assad’s state and years of war.
    Sarah el Deeb and Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
  • Nonetheless, the schools that close overwhelmingly tend to be very small, caught in mismanagement or legal trouble, and/or religious.
    Derek Newton, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

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

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