ardent
Americanadjective
-
having, expressive of, or characterized by intense feeling; passionate; fervent.
an ardent vow;
ardent love.
- Synonyms:
- impassioned, eager, fervid
-
intensely devoted, eager, or enthusiastic; zealous.
an ardent theatergoer;
an ardent student of French history.
-
fiercely bright; glowing like fire.
They were frightened by his ardent, burning eyes.
-
Archaic or Literary. burning, fiery, or hot.
the ardent core of a star.
adjective
-
expressive of or characterized by intense desire or emotion; passionate
ardent love
-
intensely enthusiastic; eager
an ardent longing
-
glowing, flashing, or shining
ardent eyes
-
rare burning
an ardent fever
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ardent
First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin ārdent- (stem of ārdēns, present participle of ārdēre “to burn”), equivalent to ārd- “burn” + -ent- noun and adjective suffix ( see -ent), replacing Middle English ardant, from Middle French
Explanation
If you are ardent, you are passionate about something. A pop star's ardent admirers might go so crazy at his concert that they faint from excitement. Ardent is most often used to modify words like supporter, fan, advocate, admirer, and defender — but also opponent. Although you can either ardently support or oppose something, "support" appears more often in common usage. The word literally means "burning" or "glowing" — it's from the Latin verb ardere, "to burn." In poetic use, the word is sometimes used to mean "glowing," as Alexander Pope meant it in his 1718 translation of Homer's Iliad: "From rank to rank she darts her ardent eyes."
Vocabulary lists containing ardent
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Grade 10, List 1
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"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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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.
Base was an ardent supporter of the rap genre, explaining to The Times in 1989 the nuance of the music.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
And he also drew ardent libertarians like Derek Wheeler, a longtime supporter from Indiana who doesn’t vote in federal elections.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
"HBO, the producers and Mike White are saddened that they won't get to work with her, but remain ardent fans and very much hope to work with the legendary actress on another project soon."
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
I sold my Apple stock, and every other individual security, before I joined Barron’s staff in 2024, but I remain an ardent bull.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Papa was an ardent Democrat but mama just didn’t care.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
