fervent
Americanadjective
-
having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc.; ardent.
a fervent admirer; a fervent plea.
- Synonyms:
- passionate, impassioned, fervid
-
hot; burning; glowing.
adjective
-
intensely passionate; ardent
a fervent desire to change society
-
archaic boiling, burning, or glowing
fervent heat
Other Word Forms
- fervently adverb
- ferventness noun
- nonfervent adjective
- nonferventness noun
- overfervent adjective
- overferventness noun
- superfervent adjective
- unfervent adjective
Etymology
Origin of fervent
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French or directly from Latin fervent- (stem of fervēns ) present participle of fervēre “to boil”; -ent
Explanation
Use fervent to describe a person or thing that shows very strong feelings or enthusiasm. If you have a fervent desire to become an actress, you'll stop at nothing to realize your dream. The adjective fervent and the noun fervor are often associated with the feelings aroused by patriotism, religion, or a belief that you support or oppose. A near synonym for the adjective is ardent. Fervent is from Middle English, from Old French, from the Latin verb fervēre "to boil, glow."
Vocabulary lists containing fervent
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Grade 10, List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 audience had “such a fervent passion for that story, I think, because of the specificity of those perspectives,” Howe said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
Swarmer’s stock surges nearly 1,100% in two days, underscoring fervent demand for drones.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
The wizard franchise enjoys a fervent and huge fanbase in China - and Warner Bros Discovery has announced plans to open the largest Making Of Harry Potter studio tour in Shanghai in 2027.
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026
Huang has been a fervent supporter of AI, which keeps turbocharging growth at Nvidia.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
In 1905, Edward Elgar, a fervent admirer of German music, described the British music scene as ‘vulgar, mediocre, chaotic and insipid’.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
