ardent

[ahr-dnt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ardent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having, expressive of, or characterized by intense feeling; passionate; fervent: an ardent vow; ardent love.

intensely devoted, eager, or enthusiastic; zealous: an ardent theatergoer. an ardent student of French history.

vehement; fierce: They were frightened by his ardent, burning eyes.

burning, fiery, or hot: the ardent core of a star.

Origin of ardent

1325–75; < Latin ārdent- (stem of ārdēns, present participle of ārdēre to burn), equivalent to ārd- burn + -ent- -ent; replacing Middle English ardant < Middle French

Related formsar·dent·ly, adverbar·den·cy

[ahr-dn-see] /ˈɑr dn si/, ar·dent·ness, noun

Synonyms for ardent

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ardent ON THESAURUS.COM

1. fervid, eager, impassioned. 2. avid.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for ardency

emotion, tenderness, appreciation, taste, fondness, lust, yearning, passion, affection, respect, friendship, devotion, infatuation, eagerness, interest, zeal, joy, energy, warmth, fury

Examples from the Web for ardency

Historical Examples of ardency

If my reasoning is correct, the ardency of your passion might have closed with the pursuit.
Alonzo and Melissa
Daniel Jackson, Jr.
Oh, forgive the ardency of my passion, which has compell'd me to deceive you.
The Belle's Stratagem
Hannah Cowley
Words cannot describe the ardency of my flame; it is actions only that can do it.
The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless
Eliza Haywood
The ardency of her affections and the determinate character of her mind were well known to her royal relatives.
Secret History of the Court of England, from the Accession of George the Third to the Death of George the Fourth, Volume I (of 2)
Lady Anne Hamilton
Their words, and, above all, the ardency of their glances betrayed that.
The Mermaid of Druid Lake and Other Stories
Charles Weathers Bump

British Dictionary definitions for ardency

ardent

adjective

expressive of or characterized by intense desire or emotion; passionateardent love

intensely enthusiastic; eageran ardent longing

glowing, flashing, or shiningardent eyes

rare burningan ardent fever

Derived Formsardency, nounardently, adverb

Word Origin for ardent

C14: from Latin ārdēre to burn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ardency

1540s, "warmth of feeling, desire," from ardent + -cy. A figurative sense, the literal meaning "intensity of heat" wasn't attested in English until 1630s.

ardent

adj.

early 14c., of alcoholic distillates, brandy (ardent spirits), etc., from Old French ardant (13c.) "burning, hot; zealous," from Latin ardentem (nominative ardens) "glowing, fiery, hot, ablaze," also used figuratively of passions, present participle of ardere "to burn," from PIE root *as- "to burn, glow" from PIE root *as- "to burn, glow" (cf. Old English æsce "ashes;" see ash (n.1)).

Ardent spirits (late 15c.) so called because they are inflammable, but the term now, if used at all, probably is felt in the figurative sense. The figurative sense (of "burning with" passions, desire, etc.) is from late 14c.; literal sense of "burning, parching" (c.1400) remains rare. Related: Ardently.