Etymology
Origin of fervor
1350–1400; Middle English fervo ( u ) r < Anglo-French < Latin fervor heat ( see fervent, -or 1)
Explanation
Use fervor to describe an intensity of emotion or expression. Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers show so much fervor that they "bleed Dodger blue." This noun comes to us from Latin fervere, meaning "to boil, glow." In the English word fervor, the suffix –or means "a condition or property of something." There is another –or suffix that means "a person or thing that does the thing expressed by the verb." A corresponding adjective is fervent; synonyms of the noun and adjective are ardor and ardent.
Vocabulary lists containing fervor
Lord of the Flies
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Great Expectations
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Twelfth Night
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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.
Chinese officials could be worried about speculative fervor, Michael Hirson and Houze Song, analysts at 22V Research, said in a note to clients.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
The Bernstein team highlighted a number of supply-chain players that could cash in on the connectivity fervor.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
He said the Grappler has emerged quickly, and the enthusiasm for the device reminds him of the fervor for the StarChase GPS tracking system in the mid-2010s.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
The problem, Adair said, is that evidence-based answers and solutions can get lost in the fervor.
From Salon • Apr. 27, 2026
They watched the moon carefully and calculated calendar days with more fervor than when they added up their gambling tabs.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
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.
