passionate

adjective

pas·​sion·​ate ˈpa-sh(ə-)nət 

1

a

: capable of, affected by, or expressing intense feeling

a passionate performance

a passionate coach

b

: enthusiastic, ardent

is passionate about basketball

2

: swayed by or affected with sexual desire and often romantic feeling

a passionate love affair

a long, passionate kiss

3

a

: easily aroused to anger

… a passionate but not a vicious boy …

—H. E. Scudder

b

: filled with anger : angry

She was passionate in her defense of her cub, and rage transformed her.

—G. D. Brown

passionateness noun

Synonyms of passionate

• intense
• emotional
• enthusiastic
• warm
• ardent
• glowing
• fervent
• demonstrative
• charged
• impassioned
• fiery
• fervid

Choose the Right Synonym for passionate

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 passionate in a Sentence

He gave a passionate speech on tax reform.

She has a passionate interest in animal rights.

She is passionate about art.

We were moved by his passionate plea for forgiveness.

Recent Examples on the Web

As the second season of The Pitt began airing, Brittany Allen began seeing a passionate fan reaction to her character, Roxie Hamler, a terminally ill cancer patient, and saw her name pop up on a number of early Emmy predictions lists. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026

Those close to him remember Jackson fondly, and as a passionate man who loved America. — Maveah Griffith, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026

Sharp is passionate about making art fairs more accessible to their participants, and is staging the forthcoming Post-Fair in Paris during Art Basel week with affordability in mind. — News Desk, Artforum, 9 July 2026

Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images Fans also contrast Haaland’s Nordic upbringing and passionate approach to soccer with China’s state sports system, which identifies promising athletes as children and emphasizes sacrifice. — Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for passionate

• compassionate
• dispassionate

Kids Definition

passionate

adjective

pas·​sion·​ate ˈpash-(ə-)nət 

1

: excited or easily excited to strong feeling

2

: showing or expressing strong feeling

3

: strongly affected with sexual desire

passionately adverb