1
2
3

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 So ardent and extensive is the TSITP fanbase that Amazon even told them to calm down. Olivia Petter, Vogue, 2 Sep. 2025 While most of us know about laundry, decluttering, and scrubbing the bathroom, there are some tasks that even the most ardent cleaners may overlook. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025 Their obsessively ardent fan bases tend to punish such transgressors rapidly and repeatedly. David Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025 The heart-condition description is doubly effective, ever since Edwards broke the tickers of ardent devotees of the series. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ardent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ardent
Adjective
  • Miller is passionate about empowering others by providing information on the connection between physical health, lifestyle choices, and mental well-being.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Kaif Shaikh Kaif Shaikh is a journalist and writer passionate about turning complex information into clear, impactful stories.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • As for their own personal favorites, Walzideh has shifted from an avid romance reader to a romantasy fan.
    Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
  • In January, the Birding & Wildlife Festival brings together avid avian enthusiasts.
    Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono told CNN that Prabowo remains popular amongst his most fervent supporters and backers from the military and business elites.
    Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
  • During the day, fans can meander in and out of matches, keyed by the soundtrack of fervent applause in a close match, of grunts and skidding sneakers just a few feet away.
    Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • She’s best known for her enthusiastic and approachable ditties on key subjects, like potty training.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Educators and parents are increasingly enthusiastic that matching learning styles to students will reap academic rewards.
    Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • There’s a significant battery life tax to pay for the microLED model’s searing brightness, too.
    Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • But the gifted Argentinian auteur has never tackled the issue as directly as in Landmarks (Nuestra Tierra), a searing and detailed chronicle of murder, bigotry and robbery on a massive scale that also marks the director’s first feature-length documentary.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
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
  • Plus, the service lost subscribers last quarter—a show people are excited about could lure back some whose bundles expired.
    Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Like her popular work with Timberland, which includes glossy, patent leather versions of the brand’s boots and a 14-inch heel, Carter’s Nike debut wasn’t afraid to take chances, which has us even more excited for what’s to come next from the collaboration.
    Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ardent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ardent. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ardent

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!