ardor
Americannoun
-
great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion.
She spoke persuasively and with ardor.
- Synonyms:
- intensity, earnestness, spirit, fervency
-
intense devotion, eagerness, or enthusiasm; zeal.
his well-known ardor for Chinese art.
-
burning heat.
Etymology
Origin of ardor
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin, equivalent to ārd ( ēre ) to burn + -or -or 1; replacing Middle English ardure < Old French ardur < Latin, as above; 17th century ardour < Anglo-French < Latin, as above
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.
He policed brushback pitches with ardor and once called a night game for darkness when lighting malfunctions compromised visibility near home plate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
Investors could well lose some ardor for Ferrari if it can’t get the electric rollout right.
From Barron's • Oct. 9, 2025
Over a bar piano and later behind closed doors, they bond over an affinity for rural songs thick with hardship, ardor and longing.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2025
Van Patten and De Domenico plausibly capture that youthful ardor while making it obvious why their displays of affection translate poorly to local police officials unprepared to investigate a murder that quickly drew international scrutiny.
From Salon • Aug. 20, 2025
“It was your manner of giving back the gifts that caused Hamlet’s temper to flare. Had you spoken more honeyed words, it would have awakened his ardor, not his anger,” he scolded.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
