passion

[pash-uhn]

noun

1. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.

   Antonyms: apathy

2. strong amorous feeling or desire; love; affection.

3. strong sexual desire; lust.

4. an instance or experience of strong love or sexual desire.

5. a person toward whom one feels strong love or sexual desire.

6. a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything.

   a passion for music.

   Synonyms: ardor, zeal, fervor

7. the object of such a fondness or desire.

   Accuracy became a passion with him.

8. an outburst of strong emotion or feeling.

   He suddenly broke into a passion of bitter words.

9. violent anger.

   Synonyms: rage, wrath, fury, ire

10. the state of being acted upon or affected by something external, especially something alien to one's nature or one's customary behavior (action ).

11. (often initial capital letter)

    1. the sufferings of Christ on the cross or His sufferings subsequent to the Last Supper.

    2. the narrative of Christ's sufferings as recorded in the Gospels.

12. Archaic.,  the sufferings of a martyr.

passion

¹

/ ˈpæʃən /

noun

1. ardent love or affection

2. intense sexual love

3. a strong affection or enthusiasm for an object, concept, etc

   a passion for poetry

4. any strongly felt emotion, such as love, hate, envy, etc

5. a state or outburst of extreme anger

   he flew into a passion

6. the object of an intense desire, ardent affection, or enthusiasm

7. an outburst expressing intense emotion

   he burst into a passion of sobs

8. philosophy

   1. any state of the mind in which it is affected by something external, such as perception, desire, etc, as contrasted with action

   2. feelings, desires or emotions, as contrasted with reason

9. the sufferings and death of a Christian martyr

Passion

²

/ ˈpæʃən /

noun

1. the sufferings of Christ from the Last Supper to his death on the cross

2. any of the four Gospel accounts of this

3. a musical setting of this

   the St Matthew Passion

Other Word Forms

• passionful adjective
• passionfully adverb
• passionfulness noun
• passionlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of passion¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin passiōn-, stem of passiō “Christ's sufferings on the cross,” any of the Biblical accounts of these, special use of Late Latin passiō “suffering, submission,” equivalent to Latin pass(us), past participle of patī “to suffer, submit” + -iō -ion; patient ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of passion¹

C12: via French from Church Latin passiō suffering, from Latin patī to suffer

Example Sentences

“Everything in his life was perfectly measured and prepared. He had a passion for seeking perfection in things,” Creuheras said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His passion for the sport was lost along with his memory.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In an age when every middle-class household could afford a few hearth gods, the superior collector consummated his passion for beauty against the “prevailing winds of progress, fashion, democracy, money, and modernity.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Her twin passions for her homeland and lyrical artistry bloom on every page.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Then there was resignation rather than anger, but on Thursday it was channelled into passion.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• affection 
• anger 
• ardor 
• dedication 
• devotion 
• excitement 
• feeling 
• fervor 
• fury 
• intensity 
• joy 
• rage 
• resentment 
• sentiment 
• spirit 
• temper 
• warmth 
• zeal 

When To Use

What are other ways to say passion?

Passion refers to any powerful emotion or feeling, such as love or hate. When should you use this noun over feeling, emotion, or sentiment? Find out on Thesaurus.com.