fervent
Americanadjective
-
having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc.; ardent.
a fervent admirer; a fervent plea.
- Synonyms:
- passionate, impassioned, fervid
-
hot; burning; glowing.
adjective
-
intensely passionate; ardent
a fervent desire to change society
-
archaic boiling, burning, or glowing
fervent heat
Other Word Forms
- fervently adverb
- ferventness noun
- nonfervent adjective
- nonferventness noun
- overfervent adjective
- overferventness noun
- superfervent adjective
- unfervent adjective
Etymology
Origin of fervent
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French or directly from Latin fervent- (stem of fervēns ) present participle of fervēre “to boil”; -ent
Explanation
Use fervent to describe a person or thing that shows very strong feelings or enthusiasm. If you have a fervent desire to become an actress, you'll stop at nothing to realize your dream. The adjective fervent and the noun fervor are often associated with the feelings aroused by patriotism, religion, or a belief that you support or oppose. A near synonym for the adjective is ardent. Fervent is from Middle English, from Old French, from the Latin verb fervēre "to boil, glow."
Vocabulary lists containing fervent
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3
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Grade 10, List 2
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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.
The audience had “such a fervent passion for that story, I think, because of the specificity of those perspectives,” Howe said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
They’re such a fervent bunch that he expects protesters at next year’s Masters if the rumors are true and gnomes go the way of wood-shafted irons.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Swarmer’s stock surges nearly 1,100% in two days, underscoring fervent demand for drones.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
AST SpaceMobile’s army of fervent retail trader fans will be hoping that by then, their own company’s satellites are already tracing their own celestial path.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
Much was made over this later handiwork, which, while not too embarrassing, did not warrant the fervent praise it received.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
