Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fervent

/ˈfɜɹvənt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.04 in modern English

Syllables: ferv-ent
IPA: /ˈfɜɹvənt/

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Very hot; burning, scorching; also, glowing with heat.

adj

Of cold: intense, severe.

Obsolete

adj

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.

Obsolete

adj

Of a person, or their actions, interests, or nature: exhibiting persistent belief or conviction, and enthusiasm or zeal; ardent, earnest, passionate.

adj

Of a thing such as a battle, unrest, etc.: intense, severe; also, of a wild animal: fierce.

Archaic

Example Sentences

"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."
"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."
"Again my Thoughts to Thee [Jesus] aſpire / In fervent Flames of ſtrong Deſire."
"[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."
"The common Camomill is of complexion hoate and dry, and not ſo feruent as the Romaine Camomill, but more pleaſant and gentill."
"Butt above all thyngꝭ [thynges, i.e., things] have fervent love a monge you. For love covereth the multitude of ſines."

Etymology

From Middle English fervent, 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.”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil; to brew”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *bʰrewh₁-, fervent, ferventem

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈfɜɹvənt/
British English: /ˈfɜːv(ə)nt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

more fervent (comparative) most fervent (superlative)

Derived Forms

fervently ferventness perfervent superfervent unfervent

Frequently Paired Words

fever ferment fervid fervor fervour

Synonyms

fervid animated ardent avid big [⇒ thesaurus] [on] bubbly eager earnest ebullient energetic enthusiastic excited

Antonyms

adiaphroistic apathetic apathistical blasé blithe deaf cool shiftless dispassionate dull enervated gallionic

Rhymes With

servant observant

Questions

How do you pronounce fervent?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfɜɹvənt/.
What does fervent mean?: Very hot; burning, scorching; also, glowing with heat.
Where does fervent come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce fervent

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “fervent”.
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