Definition of ardentnext
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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 The first documentary, in fact, earned a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, driven largely by her most ardent followers. Blanche Marcel, Vanity Fair, 6 Aug. 2026 Helsinki and Jyväskylä provide the clearest and most manageable introduction for all but the most ardent students of architecture. David Nikel, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Wherever Flock controversies bubble to the surface, police come out of the woodwork as the company’s most ardent defenders. Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 30 July 2026 Still, unhappiness — even among his most ardent supporters — is testing his grip on Russia. Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ardent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ardent
Adjective
  • That’s why the defense of Taylor from inside these walls is so passionate among those who know him.
    Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Hadder is passionate about supporting Boise’s local raptor population, and a student of the region’s history in bringing back birds of prey.
    Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 6 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • And the audience for those games skews young, with more than half of all avid soccer viewers aged 18-to-34, a demographic highly sought by advertisers and one that suggests NBC’s numbers could stay strong for years.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Pretti was an avid mountain biker, and the two had been planning to go biking together once the weather turned warm.
    Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • More humane methods of killing lobsters pre-boiling include a sharp knife through the head, electrical stunning, or freezing.
    semafor.com, semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025
  • Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life.
    Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Bestselling authors, fervent theater-goers, and culture critics alike have all heralded the production as a special chapter in the canon of Black theater.
    Emmalee Reed, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Yet many Culers question why Atletico would want to keep a player who doesn’t want to be at the club against his will, and who has now clearly lost the support of the Spanish capital outfit’s fervent fans.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Democrats are especially enthusiastic about Iowa, which hasn’t elected a Democratic governor in 20 years.
    Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • However, not all critics were enthusiastic about the film itself.
    Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The rolling mountain landscape becomes an undulating patchwork quilt of searing scarlets, terracottas, vermillions, and more.
    Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Once the film was released, critics widely praised Page’s searing performance as the doomed Greek soldier Sinon, and even some of Page’s detractors online were won over by his work.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • At Fox, Collier became known for his passional embrace of blockchain, NFTs and the whole Web3 space.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Nov. 2022
Adjective
  • As her wedding quickly approached, Natalie recalls being excited but also emotional at wearing the dress in front of her grandmother.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Like Knicks fans watching the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history excited.
    Craig Carton OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ardent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ardent. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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