plural passions
1
often capitalized
a
: the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death
b
: an oratorio based on a gospel narrative of the Passion
Bach's St. Matthew Passion
2
obsolete
: suffering
3
: the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces
moldable and not moldable … and many other passions of matter—
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon4
a(1)
: emotion
his ruling passion is greed
(2)
passions plural
: the emotions as distinguished from reason
a study of the passions
b
: intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction
with enough passion to make a great poet—W. B. Yeats
W. B. Yeats
c
: an outbreak of anger
a crime of passion
Examples of passion in a Sentence
If anyone had asked me what my passions were, I would have said building fires, climbing cliffs, going on long hikes in the woods …
—Paul Theroux, Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2001
The gods themselves had passions and frailties—these are the stuff of the myths.
—James Salter, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 1997
The skin is dry and as chaste and beautiful as old paper. But I remember the passion inspired by those fingers, their gifted, sly, infinitely provocative caresses and gestures.
—Richard Selzer, Discover, February 1994
Polo was the Khan's passion. He cared for little else, and when his armies moved, he moved with them, because he couldn't stand to be without the game.
—Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 1994
Everyone could see the passion in his approach to the work.
a controversy that has stirred passions in Congress
Her performance is full of passion and originality.
She spoke with passion about preserving the building.
The crime was committed in a fit of passion.
Music has always been his passion.
She developed a passion for opera.
a student with a passion for literature
Paul Theroux, Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2001
The gods themselves had passions and frailties—these are the stuff of the myths.
—James Salter, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 1997
The skin is dry and as chaste and beautiful as old paper. But I remember the passion inspired by those fingers, their gifted, sly, infinitely provocative caresses and gestures.
—Richard Selzer, Discover, February 1994
Polo was the Khan's passion. He cared for little else, and when his armies moved, he moved with them, because he couldn't stand to be without the game.
—Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 1994
Everyone could see the passion in his approach to the work.
a controversy that has stirred passions in Congress
Her performance is full of passion and originality.
She spoke with passion about preserving the building.
The crime was committed in a fit of passion.
Music has always been his passion.
She developed a passion for opera.
a student with a passion for literature
Recent Examples on the Web
That urban project, oddly enough, worked in tandem with an increasingly growing passion for agriculture and conservation.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
Or was that just a passion that turned into a career?
—J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
Since the golden era of Kings basketball ended, the team has made the playoffs just once in the past 19 seasons, while nostalgia for those teams continues to drive passion for both the fan base and organization.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
While Lockhart shined on screen, her passion stretched far beyond Hollywood.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for passion
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Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
Or was that just a passion that turned into a career?
—J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
Since the golden era of Kings basketball ended, the team has made the playoffs just once in the past 19 seasons, while nostalgia for those teams continues to drive passion for both the fan base and organization.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
While Lockhart shined on screen, her passion stretched far beyond Hollywood.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for passion
Cite this Entry
“Passion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passion. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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passion
noun
pas·sion
ˈpa-shən 
: intense, driving, or overpowering feeling or emotion
especially
: any violent or intense emotion that prevents reflection see also heat of passion
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