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Synonym Chooser

How is the word ardent different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of ardent are fervent, fervid, impassioned, passionate, and perfervid. While all these words mean "showing intense feeling," ardent implies an intense degree of zeal, devotion, or enthusiasm.

an ardent supporter of human rights

When is fervent a more appropriate choice than ardent?

The words fervent and ardent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fervent stresses sincerity and steadiness of emotional warmth or zeal.

fervent good wishes

When is it sensible to use fervid instead of ardent?

While the synonyms fervid and ardent are close in meaning, fervid suggests warmly and spontaneously and often feverishly expressed emotion.

fervid love letters

When can impassioned be used instead of ardent?

While in some cases nearly identical to ardent, impassioned implies warmth and intensity without violence and suggests fluent verbal expression.

an impassioned plea for justice

When could passionate be used to replace ardent?

In some situations, the words passionate and ardent are roughly equivalent. However, passionate implies great vehemence and often violence and wasteful diffusion of emotion.

a passionate denunciation

When might perfervid be a better fit than ardent?

The meanings of perfervid and ardent largely overlap; however, perfervid implies the expression of exaggerated or overwrought feelings.

perfervid expressions of patriotism

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 ardent But a groundswell of protest art was answering the call with a new kind of ardent feeling that damned the false piety and hypocrisy of homophobic Christian doctrine. Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025 Most were, like O’Neil, young and ardent admirers of the actor, who at that point was between movies and had a different kind of creative itch to scratch. Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025 All of this is proving to be too much even for some of the president’s most ardent supporters in MAGA world. Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 15 May 2025 Over the course of his career, Moore has been variously an ardent champion of folk music like Pete Seeger, and also a disrupter of its tradition in the manner of Bob Dylan. Bob Mehr, New York Times, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ardent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ardent
Adjective
  • The wistful cover makes the case for focusing more on the ballad and less on the power, aspect associated with the passionate love song.
    Marina Watts, People.com, 30 May 2025
  • His passionate pursuit of public service, driven by principle and purpose and not self-aggrandizement, was Gerry’s secret sauce.
    Paul Laudicina, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Xu is an avid Gold State Warriors basketball fan but has a soft spot for the Chicago Bulls, having spent many years in Illinois.
    Samantha Subin, CNBC, 31 May 2025
  • An avid cyclist and mountaineer, Williams has summited six of the seven highest peaks on Earth, including Mt. Everest.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • One idea is that about a million years after the Big Bang, the universe cooled and underwent a phase transition, an event similar to how boiling water turns liquid into gas.
    Yasemin Saplakoglu, Scientific American, 3 Mar. 2020
  • If candy is still stuck on, pour more boiling water over whatever hasn’t come clean.
    Washington Post, Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2019
Adjective
  • Habba in the past served as a personal lawyer to President Trump and remains a fervent supporter.
    Niall Stanage, The Hill, 21 May 2025
  • The clandestine network selected Pilecki, a 39-year-old veteran and fervent Polish nationalist, to infiltrate Auschwitz, report on its operations and organize fellow prisoners with the object of overthrowing the German camp’s superintendents.
    Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Aside from honoring the tenured in the game, the culture remains enthusiastic about who is next.
    Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
  • Trump is used to an enthusiastic crowd, but this was different: These men and women went against their union to support this deal.
    Salena Zito, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • His breakthrough role proved to be a history-making one too, securing the part of David, aka Tsotsi, in Gavin Hood’s searing 2005 crime drama Tsotsi.
    Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025
  • And of all the heartbreak Indiana has caused Knicks fans over the years, this might be the most searing.
    Sean Gregory, Time, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • That had Vidovic excited about placing this team at the top of the state’s history list.
    Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
  • Kids might be excited about the end of the school year and for summer to begin, but many working parents who don’t know how to fill their kids’ long summer days may be feeling some dread right about now.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • Cannas like the summer heat and humidity and do just fine without watering except in really hot areas like southern Florida.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 June 2025
  • Nine states have assault weapons bans in place, as gun control has become a hot topic at the Supreme Court.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ardent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ardent. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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