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.
The brand's most ardent supporters "have a lot of faith that she can deliver on some of these promises longer-term", he says, but there's "still a ton of scepticism" outside the fanbase.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
It isn’t something that buy-and-hold investors, even ardent fans of Elon Musk, should consider.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
I did, however, hear from a slew of his most ardent supporters.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 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
Indeed, had not Madison been the most ardent advocate at the Constitutional Convention for a clear assertion of federal sovereignty?
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
