impassioned 1 of 2

Definition of impassionednext

impassioned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of impassion

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of impassioned are ardent, fervent, fervid, passionate, and perfervid. While all these words mean "showing intense feeling," impassioned implies warmth and intensity without violence and suggests fluent verbal expression.

an impassioned plea for justice

When might ardent be a better fit than impassioned?

The synonyms ardent and impassioned are sometimes interchangeable, but ardent implies an intense degree of zeal, devotion, or enthusiasm.

an ardent supporter of human rights

When can fervent be used instead of impassioned?

While the synonyms fervent and impassioned are close in meaning, fervent stresses sincerity and steadiness of emotional warmth or zeal.

fervent good wishes

When is fervid a more appropriate choice than impassioned?

In some situations, the words fervid and impassioned are roughly equivalent. However, fervid suggests warmly and spontaneously and often feverishly expressed emotion.

fervid love letters

In what contexts can passionate take the place of impassioned?

The meanings of passionate and impassioned largely overlap; however, passionate implies great vehemence and often violence and wasteful diffusion of emotion.

a passionate denunciation

Where would perfervid be a reasonable alternative to impassioned?

Although the words perfervid and impassioned have much in common, perfervid implies the expression of exaggerated or overwrought feelings.

perfervid expressions of patriotism

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

Some common synonyms of impassioned are ardent, fervent, fervid, passionate, and perfervid. While all these words mean "showing intense feeling," impassioned implies warmth and intensity without violence and suggests fluent verbal expression.

an impassioned plea for justice

When might ardent be a better fit than impassioned?

The synonyms ardent and impassioned are sometimes interchangeable, but ardent implies an intense degree of zeal, devotion, or enthusiasm.

an ardent supporter of human rights

When can fervent be used instead of impassioned?

While the synonyms fervent and impassioned are close in meaning, fervent stresses sincerity and steadiness of emotional warmth or zeal.

fervent good wishes

When is fervid a more appropriate choice than impassioned?

In some situations, the words fervid and impassioned are roughly equivalent. However, fervid suggests warmly and spontaneously and often feverishly expressed emotion.

fervid love letters

In what contexts can passionate take the place of impassioned?

The meanings of passionate and impassioned largely overlap; however, passionate implies great vehemence and often violence and wasteful diffusion of emotion.

a passionate denunciation

Where would perfervid be a reasonable alternative to impassioned?

Although the words perfervid and impassioned have much in common, 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 impassioned
Adjective
Savannah and her siblings have posted several impassioned pleas to their mother's kidnapper, begging the person to let Nancy go. Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026 Mas, whose entire family was in attendance, shared impassioned words about his Cuban heritage. Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026 Iranian actor Golshifteh Farahani delivered an impassioned speech shedding light the Islamic Republic’s violent crackdown on nationwide protests that have led to thousands of deaths and mass arrests. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026 And many municipalities, responding to impassioned NIMBY locals, are actively fighting top-down, state-level attempts to meaningfully move the needle on new housing development. Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impassioned
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impassioned
Adjective
  • Companies like Acorn, which specializes in British TV, and Crunchyroll, devoted to anime, had built real businesses on niches with passionate fans.
    Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Was there one among you all that was kind of most passionate about getting this record done?
    Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The lone spark from the hosts was Ross Johnston’s decisive fight win against Tyler Tucker, though Johnston was assessed a major penalty for boarding on the hit that provoked the conflict.
    Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Twenty-nine were classified as provoked, including incidents involving fishing, handling sharks or attempting to touch them.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • This brilliant, vibrant woman was a singular candidate, who could turn out her fervent base for a win.
    Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Kurdish towns were among the most fervent sites of protests in 2022 following the death in custody of a Kurdish-Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini.
    John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Those who noticed the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Imagine my mother’s surprise when my grandfather had encouraged her to turn up at the address on the card the next day.
    Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • A day later, both sides were outside during breaks enjoying an unseasonably warm mid-March day in Manhattan.
    Doug Feinberg, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Shawkat, with her warm, amused eyes and her mop of curls, is a perfect carrier for Mae’s air of abjection, flopping around her bed like a horny, gloomy Raggedy Ann.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Olson eventually found a substance that did not seem to be hallucinogenic but potently stimulated growth in the cortical neurons of rodents.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
  • But most of the jobs grew out of the broader ecosystem stimulated by the presence of renewables, the mayor said.
    Meera Subramanian, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 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
Verb
  • Is there a more apt word than ‘inspired’?
    Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Leafing through last year’s Oscar issue, Homer French was inspired enough to paint an Oscar lying among the King Clone creosote, an 11,700-year-old plant considered one of the oldest living organisms on Earth.
    Michael Slenske, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impassioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impassioned. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

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