Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having or showing great emotion or zeal; ardent.
  • adjective Extremely hot; glowing.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Hot; burning; glowing: as, a fervent summer; fervent rays.
  • Ardent; warmly earnest; animated; eager; vehement: as, fervent zeal; fervent piety.
  • Synonyms Eager, zealous, fervid, impassioned.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Hot; glowing; boiling; burning.
  • adjective Warm in feeling; ardent in temperament; earnest; full of fervor; zealous; glowing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Exhibiting particular enthusiasm, zeal, conviction, persistence, or belief.
  • adjective Having or showing emotional warmth, fervor, or passion.
  • adjective Glowing, burning, very hot.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective characterized by intense emotion
  • adjective extremely hot

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin fervēns, fervent-, present participle of fervēre, to boil; see bhreu- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin fervens, present participle of fervere ("to boil, ferment, glow, rage").

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Examples

  • Probably the only effective approach is to run both at the same time; to get some people inside, but make sure they remain fervent by reminding them all the time of the campaigners on their side, and coordinating efforts from both angles. sexworkeradvocate, on January 29th, 2009 at 10: 29 am Said:

    Changing from within or not? « Bound, Not Gagged 2009

  • With stinging regret and profound gratitude, we return your work to you in fervent hope that you soon find literary representation worthy of your supernal ability.

    SPECIAL CONTEST ACTIVITY 2009

  • They joined the gentlemen of the Ashwood Abbey for lunch the next day, who were all in fervent denial that they had anything to do with it.

    Hunter campaign continued nathreee 2010

  • And then what drives me even more batty is when the room erupts in fervent applause, as if we are still living in the Cold War era, or as if they truly understand what socialized medicine would mean to them, and they are thoughtfully rejecting it for the principal of the free market.

    Waldo Jaquith - Supermajority support universal health care. 2007

  • We do this with our eyes open and in fervent prayer, especially the prayer that President Bush and his national security team will be lavished with wisdom from God above to use only that force which is truly necessary and only that force which is truly appropriate.

    Think Progress » Congress Explicitly Said War Resolution Did Not Expand Executive Power 2005

  • Last Sunday, I already announced this initiative whose purpose is to involve the faithful in fervent prayer to Christ, Prince of Peace.

    03/01/2003 - 04/01/2003 John 2003

  • Today, instead of monkey imitations, Poles now engage in fervent chants of "Oli, Oli" when he plays.

    USATODAY.com - Olisadebe has countrymen feeling polar opposite 2002

  • The beaming sun is shining with dazzling radiance on its white walls, telling, in fervent whispers, that a shelter from the heat will be desirable; so here we will enter, where the shadowy trees, and bright stream glancing through the garden flowers, speak of inhabitants from the olden world.

    Sketches and Tales Illustrative of Life in the Backwoods of New Brunswick, North America Frederick 1845

  • Hawkers moved among them, offering bibingka, turon and cassava cakes, as the crowd’s collective heart beat in fervent anticipation of the incredible event.

    V. At the Plaza Binondo Dean Francis Alfar 2005

  • This phrase fervent in spirit is literally a picture of water coming to the point of boiling.

    Living on the Edge Chip Ingram 2009

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