Definition of perfervidnext

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of perfervid are ardent, fervent, fervid, impassioned, and passionate. While all these words mean "showing intense feeling," perfervid implies the expression of exaggerated or overwrought feelings.

perfervid expressions of patriotism

When might ardent be a better fit than perfervid?

The words ardent and perfervid can be used in similar contexts, but ardent implies an intense degree of zeal, devotion, or enthusiasm.

an ardent supporter of human rights

In what contexts can fervent take the place of perfervid?

While in some cases nearly identical to perfervid, fervent stresses sincerity and steadiness of emotional warmth or zeal.

fervent good wishes

When can fervid be used instead of perfervid?

The words fervid and perfervid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fervid suggests warmly and spontaneously and often feverishly expressed emotion.

fervid love letters

When would impassioned be a good substitute for perfervid?

The synonyms impassioned and perfervid are sometimes interchangeable, but impassioned implies warmth and intensity without violence and suggests fluent verbal expression.

an impassioned plea for justice

When is it sensible to use passionate instead of perfervid?

While the synonyms passionate and perfervid are close in meaning, passionate implies great vehemence and often violence and wasteful diffusion of emotion.

a passionate denunciation

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 perfervid The scant paintings on view reverse an emphasis on figurative imagery in the 2019 Biennial, tilting toward a lately prevalent revival of abstraction in perfervid styles that have yet to demonstrate staying power. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022 This latest controversy won’t dent Thomas’s formidable reputation as a jurist, but it’s another mark against his perfervid critics who have no decency. Rich Lowry, National Review, 1 Apr. 2022 So why, with all this perfervid material at her disposal, did the director, Haifaa Al-Mansour, and her co-screenwriter, Emma Jensen, opt for such cautiousness? Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 May 2018 Down south near San Diego, gray-faced children toil in a slave-labor camp that Dickens could not have imagined in his most perfervid dreams. Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 4 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfervid
Adjective
  • True to its name, the pub in Overland Park housed more than 100 passionate and prideful Dutch supporters who came together to watch the Netherlands face Japan in what some are calling the game of the World Cup so far.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 June 2026
  • But the real tragedy is that the world lost a true artist, a passionate and gifted story teller, and a radiant light that shined upon so many of us.
    Austin Mullen, NBC news, 15 June 2026
Adjective
  • But the team that lines up against Argentina on Tuesday at Kansas City Stadium (née Arrowhead Stadium) also has a fervent fan base.
    Pete Grathoff June 10, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
  • The 23-year-old from Michigan, who claimed his first Cup Series victory in April, possesses a combination of talent and confidence that attracts a fervent following.
    Time, Time, 9 June 2026
Adjective
  • The park sits at the intersection of the higher, cooler Mojave Desert and the lower, warmer Colorado Desert.
    Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026
  • Pour the lot into a blender, add ice, and your Moscow mule becomes even more of a warm-weather lounge-fellow.
    Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 10 June 2026
Adjective
  • Thanks to more than 200 years of intense and virtuoso scientific work, what were once valid or at least plausible concerns and objections to vaccines have been overcome.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • Whether Tuchel will, in fact, be able to produce a more intense high-pressing style this summer, given the climate and the dense schedule, is another matter.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Adjective
  • Mexico forward Raul Jimenez paid an emotional tribute to his former teammate Diogo Jota after scoring a crucial equalizer against the United States in Sunday’s Concacaf Gold Cup final.
    Martin Rogers, New York Times, 7 July 2025
  • Stoner, a Disney Channel veteran, first opened up about their sexuality in 2018, penning an emotional essay for Teen Vogue.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • The effect of Gaza on these particular swing voters lingers painfully in the thoughts of Harris’s most ardent supporters.
    Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
  • His Bernstein had visceral, vernacular punch; his Verdi was ardent and spry; his Britten had the right textural grit; his Mozart unfurled with complicated grace.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Adjective
  • Before the show even came to be, the fandom was already so positive and warm and enthusiastic.
    Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 11 Dec. 2025
  • Recently, Dublin, Ireland was chosen to be the entry point into the European market due to the combination of many Silicon Valley European IT headquarters already located there, as well as enthusiastic government support of tech startups.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • For modern scholars of religious and social history, cheese is not the most exciting part of this discovery.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • The neighborhood is near major religious sites Abu Diab’s neighborhood, al-Bustan, extends through a valley just outside the Old City, with the dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque visible above the towering walls.
    Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Perfervid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfervid. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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