passionate
Americanadjective
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having, compelled by, or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling; fervid.
a passionate advocate of socialism.
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easily aroused to or influenced by sexual desire; ardently sensual.
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expressing, showing, or marked by intense or strong feeling; emotional.
passionate language.
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intense or vehement, as emotions or feelings.
passionate grief.
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easily moved to anger; quick-tempered; irascible.
adjective
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manifesting or exhibiting intense sexual feeling or desire
a passionate lover
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capable of, revealing, or characterized by intense emotion
a passionate plea
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easily roused to anger; quick-tempered
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of passionate
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin passiōnātus, equivalent to Late Latin passiōn- passion + Latin -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
Something that is passionate packs emotion, and possibly romantic emotion. A passionate plea will tug on your heartstrings and a passionate kiss will sweep you off your feet. If you want to stay unmoved, stay away from the passionate. If you're passionate about soccer, you can't get enough of it — you've got soccer pennants plastered on your walls, your TV is permanently tuned to the soccer channel, and you probably wear soccer jerseys under your button-down shirt. Passion can also come from intense feelings of love for a person. Be careful — you could be swept up in "a passionate embrace."
Vocabulary lists containing passionate
Positive Adjectives to Describe People
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Tuesdays with Morrie
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Words to Describe Yourself on a Resume
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was a passionate advocate for America’s alliances—with Israel especially, but also in Europe and Asia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Behind the scenes of soccer commentary: If you’ve been tuning in to the World Cup, you’ve probably been struck by the announcers’ uniquely energetic, passionate commentary.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
"I don't think you guys have changed. You're still in a passionate country."
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Why shouldn’t she use her power to uplift women and children ... these things she’s been really passionate about?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
This caused him to mistrust all purely rational descriptions of human behavior as incompatible with the more passionate stirrings he felt within his own personality.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
