passion

1
2
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

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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

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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 The heir to the throne has made mental health a focus of his royal work and puts his passion into action through programming to help support the mental health of the Duchy of Cornwall's farming tenants. Janine Henni, People.com, 6 June 2025 Today's listen Seth MacFarlane, best known for creating American Dad! and Family Guy, has another passion: singing. Brittney Melton, NPR, 6 June 2025 The anger melted away, eventually giving way to a dogged passion for getting the music in front of more listeners. Tyler Hicks, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025 The position requires mechanical skills and a passion for sharing automotive history with the public. Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for passion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passion
Noun
  • Patrick and Brittany Mahomes talked about their love of softball and women’s sports during an in-game interview.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 June 2025
  • The rapper even released a whole album devoted to his love of the genre back in 2010, Rebirth.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • At 10, my crush having lunch with another girl was considered peak betrayal.
    Varuna Srinivasan, Allure, 27 May 2025
  • The crush at the FA Cup semifinal match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough in Sheffield on April 15, 1989, is Britain’s worst sports disaster.
    Steve Douglas, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • Anytime the main quartet are together, there is no desire at all to listen to what the other person has to say.
    Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 7 June 2025
  • There was no single issue bonding together these early trailblazers other than a desire to offer an alternative view on clubs whose media coverage was largely restricted to the back page of the local newspaper and a rather staid, flimsy matchday programme.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Noun
  • The emerging British singer brought a lot of heart and emotion to the performance.
    Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • In a battle defined by grit and high emotions, the Miami Hurricanes fell to the Louisville Cardinals, 3-2, in Game 3 of the NCAA Louisville Super Regional.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • The club is led by driver and CEO Tom Slingsby, the Australian 2012 Olympic gold medalist, who shared his enthusiasm for adding Jackman and Reynolds to the crew.
    Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 5 June 2025
  • This contrasts with an apparent upcoming boom in Europe, although this is based on government coercion rather than enthusiasm for EVs.
    Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • Catherine, at least, has a better grasp of her own heart—her own feelings—than either of these more confident and overtly clever heroines.
    Adelle Waldman, New Yorker, 31 May 2025
  • With a state-of-the-art new factory and a Honda works engine supply arriving from 2026, the feeling has long been that Aston’s foundations are coming together.
    Luke Smith, New York Times, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • In this intertwining tale about lust, rage, and abandonment, Alice must find her mysterious hook-up in order to save her humanity.
    Shannon Carlin, Time, 22 May 2025
  • Working with producer Carter Lang of SZA and Doja Cat fame, de la Fuente is no longer trying to capture the gilded vignettes of home, but rather relaxing into the bliss of fleeting moments, creating universal depictions of lust and yearning sung in breathy registers.
    Vita Dadoo, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • The group were filmed licking and sniffing the younger kitten in a clear show of affection, in the post to TikTok from April 25.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • Upon his release, Nick learns that the target of his affections has another admirer, Chester (Shawn Ashmore), his no-nonsense parole officer.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 4 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Passion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passion. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

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