passion

1
2
3
as in crush
a strong but often short-lived liking for another person her passion passed when she got to know him

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5
6
as in feeling
passions plural general emotional condition people who are swayed by their passions and not by reason

Synonyms & Similar Words

7
8

Synonym Chooser

How is the word passion distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of passion are affection, emotion, feeling, and sentiment. While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

When is it sensible to use affection instead of passion?

The synonyms affection and passion are sometimes interchangeable, but affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

How are the words emotion and feeling related as synonyms of passion?

Emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

When would feeling be a good substitute for passion?

The meanings of feeling and passion largely overlap; however, feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

the feelings that once moved me are gone

When can sentiment be used instead of passion?

The words sentiment and passion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

Example 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 passion Whatever, Roberts liked the characterization, the description of grit as a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal. Levi Weaver, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025 Baseball and boats were Fred’s passions, but Smith readily followed his lead. Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025 In addition to his lifetime of service to the Catholic Church, Wenski is a known for his light-hearted sense of humor and his passion for riding motorcycles. Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025 What is really required, however, is passion and determination. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for passion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passion
Noun
  • In March 2025, Vice President Vance even led a high-profile US delegation to the American military base in Greenland to advocate for annexation, despite polling data indicating that a large majority of Greenlanders have expressed no enthusiasm for an American takeover.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • His enthusiasm and energy can help businesses attract and retain young, diverse talent.
    Sally Susman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • His plays gleefully plumb the wickedest aspects of the human psyche, delivering tales of relentless conquest, Jewish perfidy, deals with the devil, and gay love.
    Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
  • With dietary changes, high-quality medications and supplements — and a whole lot of love — Armina slowly regained her active lifestyle, Zart said.
    Evan Moore November 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • For years, Canari, a professional piragua driver, made a living transporting visitors, including journalists, to Bajo Chiquito to see how the community was coping under a crush of migrants who arrived daily by the hundreds, and at times, thousands.
    Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Who was your first celeb crush?
    Julie Jordan, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But Mamdani also shares Obama’s desire to reach out to adversaries and be a unifying force in politics.
    Ben Adler, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
  • But all of these tropes, from the beard to the villain, are predicated on the idea that sexuality and desire are always legible on the body.
    Kelly Foster Lundquist, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The Mercury retrograde that backstrokes in Pisces from February 26 to March 20 makes our emotions extremely tender.
    Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 7 Nov. 2025
  • During her interview with host Jimmy Fallon, Lawrence was jokingly overcome with emotion and broke into dramatic sobs multiple times.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • There is an organic, honest feeling to Paulsen’s training.
    Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The loss was an unfamiliar feeling for the Dodgers, who had only dropped one game this entire postseason entering Friday.
    Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Louise Hémon The jury would also like to acknowledge a director whose film transported us into an extreme landscape, and created an unsettling atmosphere that kept us contemplating the nature of lust, education, and violence.
    Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The story's become one of most iconic tales of the 20th century, one filled to the brim with glorious weirdness, corruption, blood, lust and plenty of song and dance.
    Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That’s why Mazzulla upped the intensity at training camp.
    Jay King, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • There’s that kind of intensity and fuel that has fanned the fire of Mirador in someways that’s really elevated the band and the performances.
    Gary Graff, Billboard, 25 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Passion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passion. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on passion

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!