passionate

adjective

pas·​sion·​ate ˈpa-sh(ə-)nət How to pronounce passionate (audio)
1
a
: easily aroused to anger
a passionate but not a vicious boyH. E. Scudder
b
: filled with anger : angry
was passionate in her defense of her cub, and rage transformed herG. D. Brown
2
a
: capable of, affected by, or expressing intense feeling
a passionate performance
a passionate coach
b
: enthusiastic, ardent
is passionate about basketball
3
: swayed by or affected with sexual desire
a passionate love affair
passionateness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for passionate

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 passionate in a Sentence

He gave a passionate speech on tax reform. She has a passionate interest in animal rights. She is passionate about art. We were moved by his passionate plea for forgiveness.
Recent Examples on the Web The patients are passionate about advancing the science, to help others like them in the years and decades to come. Caitlin Kelly, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit: Mental Wellness in a Digital Age event gave a voice to families who are passionate about building a safer online world for children and teens, and PEOPLE learned the Duke and Duchess of Sussex directly worked with parents involved behind the scenes. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 In the fall, Grasso will be moving to Portland, Ore., to pursue a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, which she’s been passionate about for years. Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Thompson was the first performer on the radio broadcast that would become the beating heart of country music, and his first notes kick-started a legacy that still brings together a passionate community of artists and fans in Nashville. Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Though Richardson is passionate about film and art, she was drawn to accounting as a way to maximize her future career opportunities. Jo Constantz, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 A lot of people, she was touched to see, were still passionate about that mission. Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Star-spangled from head to toe, Kinsley Murray, from the state of Washington, sang before Monday’s game against the Toronto Raptors and drew attention from her passionate performance and patriotic gear. The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024 The only point of concern, unfortunately, is Chalamet: His performance in Part One was both passionate and intelligent. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'passionate.' 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

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of passionate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near passionate

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

passionate

adjective
pas·​sion·​ate ˈpash-(ə-)nət How to pronounce passionate (audio)
1
: excited or easily excited to strong feeling
2
: showing or expressing strong feeling
3
: strongly affected with sexual desire
passionately adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on passionate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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