impassioned

adjective

im·​pas·​sioned im-ˈpa-shənd How to pronounce impassioned (audio)
: filled with passion or zeal : showing great warmth or intensity of feeling
Choose the Right Synonym for impassioned

impassioned, passionate, ardent, fervent, fervid, perfervid mean showing intense feeling.

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

Examples of impassioned in a Sentence

Her lawyer made an impassioned argument in her defense. an impassioned plea for justice
Recent Examples on the Web The judge also heard an impassioned statement from Mr. McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain, who said her son’s death was not a terrible tragedy but an avoidable murder. Kelley Manley, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 While there are diehard fans and impassioned opinions, the presence of the opposing team only fuels the spirit of the game. John Towfighi, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 The tension between The View cohosts Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro just grew thicker than the latter's impassioned disdain for the results of the show's 2023 Pooch Pageant that still haunts her waking life. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 1 Mar. 2024 During that time, Torres took to the picket lines and gave an impassioned speech at one demonstration. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 The Berlin Film Festival saw a flurry of high-profile protests, and their awards ceremony was marked by several very impassioned political statements, so much so that the Festival itself issued an unprecedented statement condemning the speeches. Steven Gaydos, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024 Although using this intense emotion to fuel an impassioned, persuasive argument could be beneficial, if a person who gets upset ends up bullying others, this will ultimately have negative repercussions for their relationships. Heather Lench, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2024 At the convention, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer gave her impassioned speech about the struggle for voting rights for Black Mississippians. Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 The students’ impassioned views on all this are inspiring, optimistically suggesting that future efforts in conservation and reparations are in capable hands. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impassioned.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impassioned was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near impassioned

Cite this Entry

“Impassioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impassioned. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

impassioned

adjective
im·​pas·​sioned
im-ˈpash-ənd
: showing very strong feeling
an impassioned speech

More from Merriam-Webster on impassioned

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