ardent
[ ahr-dnt ]
/ ˈɑr dnt /
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.
RELATED CONTENT
Why Tergiversate Is Our 2011 Word Of The YearThere are essentially two ways to pick a “word of the year.” One common approach is to select from words whose common usage reflects some quality of the year past. Expect to see occupy, winning, etc., on many selections this December. Another way involves actually using the dictionary. Is there a word that captures the character of 2011, regardless of its popularity or ubiquity? In …
Nearby words
ardella, arden, arden, forest of, ardency, ardennes, ardent, ardent spirits, ardently, ardi, ardipithecus, ardipithecus kadabba
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
SYNONYMS FOR ardent
2 avid.
Related formsar·dent·ly, adverbar·den·cy [ahr-dn-see] /ˈɑr dn si/, ar·dent·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for ardent
British Dictionary definitions for ardent
ardent
/ (ˈɑːdənt) /
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 ardent
ardent
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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper