vehement

[vee-uh-muhnt]

adjective

1. zealous; ardent; impassioned.

   a vehement defense;

   vehement enthusiasm.

   Synonyms: burning, fervid, fervent, earnest, fiery
   Antonyms: dispassionate

2. characterized by rancor or anger; violent.

   vehement hostility.

   Antonyms: dispassionate

3. strongly emotional; intense or passionate.

   vehement desire.

4. marked by great energy or exertion; strenuous.

   vehement clapping.

vehement

/ ˈviːɪmənt /

adjective

1. marked by intensity of feeling or conviction; emphatic

2. (of actions, gestures, etc) characterized by great energy, vigour, or force; furious

Other Word Forms

• vehemently adverb
• nonvehement adjective
• overvehement adjective
• unvehement adjective
• vehemence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vehement¹

First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin vehement-, stem of vehemēns, vēmēns “violent, forceful”; of uncertain derivation

Word History and Origins

Origin of vehement¹

C15: from Latin vehemēns ardent; related to vehere to carry

Example Sentences

The times, then and now, the book implies, call for vehement exhortation.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“I pray that we will remember that every person, no matter how vehement our disagreement with them, is a human being and a fellow American deserving of respect and protection,” Thune said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He doubled down in the face of the South African government's vehement rebuttal and signed an executive order last Friday freezing aid.

Read more on BBC

A vehement nonsmoker, he kept in his office a cigarette box adorned with a skull and crossbones, to demonstrate their danger.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But online, this declaration of heroism was quickly complicated by vehement backlish.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• angry 
• ardent 
• emphatic 
• enthusiastic 
• fervent 
• fierce 
• forceful 
• furious 
• heated 
• impassioned 
• potent 
• rabid 
• violent 
• zealous