fervid

adjective

fer·​vid ˈfər-vəd 

1

: very hot : burning

2

: marked by often extreme fervor (see fervor sense 1)

a fervid crusader

fervid fans

fervidly adverb

fervidness noun

Did you know?

If you’ve ever felt as if your emotions were going to boil over, whether you were overly bubbly or, less happily, you needed to simmer down over something, you should have no trouble understanding the roots of fervid. Fervid comes from the Latin verb fervēre, meaning “to boil” or “to glow,” as well as, by extension, “to seethe” or “to be roused.” In English, this root gave us not only fervid but the similar-sounding and practically synonymous word fervent. But while fervid usually suggests warm emotion that is expressed in a spontaneous or feverish manner (as in “fervid basketball fans”), fervent is reserved for a kind of emotional warmth that is steady and sincere (as in “a fervent belief in human kindness”). Fervid fans of kimchi or sauerkraut (or fervent followers of anything fermented), may appreciate that fervēre is also the root of ferment.

Synonyms

• ardent
• blazing
• burning
• charged
• demonstrative
• emotional
• fervent
• feverish
• fiery
• flaming
• glowing
• hot-blooded
• impassioned
• incandescent
• intense
• passional
• passionate
• perfervid
• red-hot
• religious
• superheated
• torrid
• vehement
• warm
• warm-blooded

Choose the Right Synonym for fervid

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 fervid in a Sentence

at the school board meeting the librarian delivered a fervid speech defending the classic novel against would-be censors

the fervid sands of the desert

Recent Examples on the Web

In this time of fervid preoccupation with Russia, that is not a narrative in search of an audience. —Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020

Both departures were expected and unsurprisingly elicited fervid reaction by fans; and Queen and Beckham each chimed in as well, though with disparate emotions. —Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2024

My partner heard the crash of glass and found me on the ground in the fervid New Mexico sun, my fingers clenching a mug's handle, the only part intact. —Lauren Depino, NPR, 28 Mar. 2024

One experiences their work as one would a fervid, late-night Wikipedia binge, making synaptic links as influences from David Cronenberg, Kim Kardashian, Gene Kelly, Will Wright and Ludwig Wittgenstein collide and collapse onstage. —Ben Croll, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin fervidus, from fervēre

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

fervid

adjective

fer·​vid ˈfər-vəd 

: filled with passion or eagerness

fervidly adverb

fervidness noun