ardent

adjective

ar·​dent ˈär-dᵊnt How to pronounce ardent (audio)
1
: characterized by warmth of feeling typically expressed in eager zealous support or activity
ardent proponents of the bill
an ardent admirer
ardent fans
2
: fiery, hot
an ardent sun
3
: shining, glowing
ardent eyes
ardently adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for ardent

impassioned, passionate, ardent, fervent, fervid, perfervid mean showing intense feeling.

impassioned implies warmth and intensity without violence and suggests fluent verbal expression.

an impassioned plea for justice

passionate implies great vehemence and often violence and wasteful diffusion of emotion.

a passionate denunciation

ardent implies an intense degree of zeal, devotion, or enthusiasm.

an ardent supporter of human rights

fervent stresses sincerity and steadiness of emotional warmth or zeal.

fervent good wishes

fervid suggests warmly and spontaneously and often feverishly expressed emotion.

fervid love letters

perfervid implies the expression of exaggerated or overwrought feelings.

perfervid expressions of patriotism

Examples of ardent in a Sentence

These ardent young nationalists, mostly still in their 20s and impatient for freedom, had acquired arms from sympathetic nationalist officers in the Indian army … Gita Mehta, Vogue, April 1997
In fact, Gorbachev told me, a schoolboy essay he'd written on the virtues of Stalin was considered so ardent and exemplary that "for years thereafter other children were made to read it." David Remnick, New Yorker, 18 Nov. 1996
During the fourth century, pagan piety in the upper classes became more elevated, more ardent, and more mystical. Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993
made ardent declarations of love to the woman he someday hoped to marry an ardent science-fiction fan who has read virtually all of his favorite author's many works
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The ardent lyrics on Mind Games could only come from the open heart of a deeply devoted husband. Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024 My immigrant parents—my father especially—are ardent Christians. Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2024 Even ardent believers of Adani also appear to be rethinking their backing of the conglomerate. Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2024 There is growing anger at Israel’s behavior across different Lebanese communities, including among Hezbollah’s ardent domestic enemies. Maha Yahya, Foreign Affairs, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ardent 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ardaunt, ardent "burning, fiery, passionate," borrowed from Middle French ardent, ardant, going back to Old French, borrowed from Latin ardent-, ardens "burning, fiercely hot, shining, eager, passionate," from present participle of ardēre "to burn, emit light or flame, be fiercely hot, be violently excited, be eager," derivative of āridus, ārdus "dry, waterless" — more at arid

Note: The assumption here is that the initial long vowel of āridus is shortened in ardēre, though this is uncertain. (Ernout and Meillet in Dictionnaire étymologique de langue latine marked it as long, though M. Leumann in Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre considered it to have been shortened.) Although derivation of ardēre from āridus seems likely on a morphological basis, the semantic relation is anomalous, as the verb is not a stative derivative of the adjective—the verb ārēre "to be dry, parched" already serves that function. The noun ardor is similarly anomalous. Most other stative verbs in -ēre paired with adjectives in -idus have a corresponding abstract noun ending in -ōr-, -or (originally *-ōs-, *-ōs), but the pair āridus/ārēre lacks a corresponding noun *āror. The derivative ardor does not provide it, as it means "burning, fierce heat," not "dryness" (though heat produces dryness, the implicit semantic connection).

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ardent was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ardent

Cite this Entry

“Ardent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ardent. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ardent

adjective
ar·​dent ˈärd-ᵊnt How to pronounce ardent (audio)
1
: showing or having warmth of feeling : passionate
an ardent admirer
2
: zealous, devoted
an ardent supporter
ardently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ardent

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