ardour

British

/ ˈɑːdə /

noun

feelings of great intensity and warmth; fervour
eagerness; zeal

"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

Etymology

Origin of ardour

C14: from Old French ardour, from Latin ārdor, from ārdēre to burn

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.

See Examples For:

ardour

What right would I have, in my circumstances, to lapse into the passivity of despair, having witnessed the ardour and courage with which such people have pursued their struggles?

From Salon ● May 28, 2025

And then came his 1987 triumph Sarafina!, set during the Soweto Uprising and carrying to audiences worldwide the revolutionary ardour of South Africa's youth.

From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2023

Xi, by contrast, is widely seen as China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, which analysts say fuels an ardour for implementation and amplification by China's sprawling bureaucracy.

From Reuters ● Aug. 11, 2021

The subjective nature of pain chilled their ardour further.

From Nature ● Sep. 10, 2019

His face was flushed, his eyes bright with ardour and indignation.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023