Wiktionary

fervent

English

WOTD – 23 May 2026

Etymology

From Middle English fervent,[1] from Old French fervent (modern French fervent), from Latin ferventem, the accusative masculine or feminine singular form of fervēns (“burning, fiery; hot; zealous; etc.”), the present active participle of ferveō (“to burn; to be hot; (figurative) to be agitated, fired up, or inflamed; etc.”),[2] ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil; to brew”).

Pronunciation

Adjective

fervent (comparative more fervent, superlative most fervent)

  1. Very hot; burning, scorching; also, glowing with heat.
    Synonym: fervid
    • 1534 (date written; published 1553), Thomas More, “A Dyalogue of Comforte agaynste Tribulacyon, […]. A Special Comfort in Al Temptacion.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, book II, page 1179, column 1:
      Lo here hath euery fayth[f]ull man a ſure promiſe, yͭ in the feruent heate of tentacion or tribulacion […] God gyueth the faythful man yͭ hopeth in him, yͭ ſhadow of hys holy ſhoulders, which are brode ⁊ large, ſufficient to refrigerate ⁊ refreſhe the man in that heate, and in euerye trybulacion he putteth hys ſhoulders for a defence betwene.
      A figurative use.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Peter 3:10, signature [Y6], recto, column 2:
      But the day of the Lord wil come as a thiefe in the night; in the which the heauens ſhall paſſe away with a great noiſe, and the Elements ſhall melt with feruent heate, the earth alſo and the works that are therin ſhalbe burnt vp.
    • 1739, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, “A Morning Dedication of Ourselves to Christ. From the German.”, in Hymns and Sacred Poems, London: […] William Strahan; and sold by James Hutton, […]; and at Mr. Bray’s, […], →OCLC, part II, stanza I, page 179:
      Again my Thoughts to Thee [Jesus] aſpire / In fervent Flames of ſtrong Deſire.
      A figurative use.
  2. (obsolete)
    1. Of cold: intense, severe.
      • 1528, [Joannes de Mediolano, Arnaldus de Villa Nova], translated by Thomas Paynell, Regimen Sanitatis Salerni. […] [Governance of Hygiene of Salerno], London: […] Tho. Bertheleti [Thomas Berthelet] […], published 1541, →OCLC, folio 106, recto:
        [A] feruent colde countrey, vnder whiche a colde ſeaſon ſhulde be comprehended, whiche alſo letteth bloud lettyng: for in a countrey and ſeaſon very colde, the blud is cloſed in the depeſt partis of the body, and the bloud that tarieth in the vtter partis, the colde makethe thycke, whiche to voide is no wyſedome.
    2. (pharmacy, historical) Of a drug: having an abundance of heat as one of the four qualities believed to be characteristic of all things; hot rather than cold, dry, or moist.
      • 1578, Rembert Dodoens, “Of Wilde or Common Camomill”, in Henry Lyte, transl., A Niewe Herball, or Historie of Plantes: […], London: […] [Henry [i.e., Hendrik van der] Loë for] Gerard Dewes, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Pleasant and Sweete Smelling Floures, Herbes and Seedes, and Suche Like), page 187:
        The common Camomill is of complexion hoate and dry, and not ſo feruent as the Romaine Camomill, but more pleaſant and gentill.
  3. (figurative)
    1. Of a person, or their actions, interests, or nature: exhibiting persistent belief or conviction, and/or enthusiasm or zeal; ardent, earnest, passionate.
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:enthusiastic
      Antonyms: see Thesaurus:apathetic
    2. (archaic) Of a thing such as a battle, unrest, etc.: intense, severe; also, of a wild animal: fierce.

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

References

  1. ^ “fervent, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ Compare “fervent, adj.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2026; “fervent, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ferventem.

Pronunciation

Adjective

fervent m or f (masculine and feminine plural fervents)

  1. fervent
    Synonym: fervorós

Derived terms

Further reading

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French, from Latin ferventem.

Pronunciation

Adjective

fervent (feminine fervente, masculine plural fervents, feminine plural ferventes)

  1. fervent

Derived terms

Further reading

Latin

Verb

fervent

  1. third-person plural present active indicative of ferveō

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French fervent, from Latin fervēns, ferventem; compare fervour.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɛrˈvɛnt/, /ˈfɛrvɛnt/

Adjective

fervent

  1. fervent (very hot)
  2. (by extension) tempestuous, fierce
  3. fervent (ardent, enthusiastic)
  4. (pathology) inflamed, feverous

Derived terms

Descendants

  • English: fervent
  • Scots: fervent

References

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French fervent, from Latin fervens.

Adjective

fervent m or n (feminine singular ferventă, masculine plural fervenți, feminine/neuter plural fervente)

  1. fervent

Declension

Declension of fervent
singular plural
masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
nominative-
accusative 		indefinite fervent ferventă fervenți fervente
definite ferventul ferventa fervenții ferventele
genitive-
dative 		indefinite fervent fervente fervenți fervente
definite ferventului ferventei fervenților ferventelor
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