: marked by often extreme fervor (see fervorsense 1)
a fervid crusader
fervid fans
fervidlyadverb
fervidnessnoun
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The Latin verb fervēre can mean "to boil" or "to glow," as well as, by extension, "to seethe" or "to be roused." In English, this root gives us three words that can mean "impassioned" by varying degrees: fervid, fervent, and perfervid. Fervid and fervent are practically synonymous, but while fervid usually suggests warm emotion that is expressed in a spontaneous or feverish manner (as in "fervid basketball fans"), fervent is reserved for a kind of emotional warmth that is steady and sincere (as in "a fervent belief in human kindness"). Perfervid combines fervid with the Latin prefix per- ("thoroughly") to create a word meaning "marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion," as in "a perfervid display of patriotism."
impassioned implies warmth and intensity without violence and suggests fluent verbal expression.
an impassioned plea for justice
passionate implies great vehemence and often violence and wasteful diffusion of emotion.
a passionate denunciation
ardent implies an intense degree of zeal, devotion, or enthusiasm.
an ardent supporter of human rights
fervent stresses sincerity and steadiness of emotional warmth or zeal.
fervent good wishes
fervid suggests warmly and spontaneously and often feverishly expressed emotion.
fervid love letters
perfervid implies the expression of exaggerated or overwrought feelings.
perfervid expressions of patriotism
Example Sentences
at the school board meeting the librarian delivered a fervid speech defending the classic novel against would-be censors the fervid sands of the desert
Recent Examples on the WebThe mysterious photo garnered scores of fervid reactions from fans, some of whom have likened his appearance to that of Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen in the Twilight series. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Aug. 2022 Euphoria's resident brute spoke to GQ about his fervid role preparation process in a cover interview published Monday, admitting that his approach to portraying The Kissing Booth heartthrob Noah Flynn might have veered into the absurd. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2022 In stadium negotiations, fervid decades-long support for the Bills throughout Western New York strengthened the team’s hand. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2022 The fervid speculation over what Rolex would announce at Watches & Wonders—now an annual ritual amongst the global watch community—is finally at an end. Nick Scott, Robb Report, 30 Mar. 2022 Kazantzakis, however, was fervid in his anti-imperialist beliefs, a conviction that prevented him from speaking out against – or perhaps even recognizing – the growing menace of fascism that in the 1930s was sweeping across the globe. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 19 Mar. 2022 The icy cornucopia of the fifties is flushed out in the fervid deliquescence of the sixties. Frank Guan, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2022 One, Farah seems to be having a more fervid head-to-head with Gebrselassie, trading embarrassingly public accusations of theft, assault, and misconduct during a stay in Gebrselassie’s Addis hotel. Roger Robinson, Outside Online, 26 Apr. 2019 But Milburn puts an original spin on the familiar beats of the backwoods shock genre thanks to his hallucinatory storytelling, John Mehrmann’s unnerving score and Spielberg’s fervid performance. Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2021 See More