Ardent — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈär-dᵊnt/ ar·dent

Meaning & Definition of Ardent

Ardent (adjective)

  1. characterized by warmth of feeling typically expressed in eager zealous support or activity
  2. fiery, hot
  3. shining, glowing

Ardent (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or expressing great depth of feeling

    "made ardent declarations of love to the woman he someday hoped to marry"

    similar: blazing, burning, charged, demonstrative, emotional, fervent, fervid, feverish, fiery, flaming, glowing, hot-blooded, impassioned, incandescent, intense, passional, passionate, perfervid, red-hot, religious, superheated, torrid, vehement, warm, warm-blooded, on fire
    related: gushing, gushy, maudlin, mawkish, mushy, saccharine, sappy, schmaltzy, sentimental, sloppy, sugary, histrionic, melodramatic, enthusiastic, gung ho, keen, zealous, enamored, infatuated, obsessed, uninhibited, unreserved, unrestrained, frenzied, orgiastic, overemotional, overexcited, overheated
    opposite: cold, cool, dispassionate, emotionless, impassive, unemotional
    near: detached, dry, impersonal, objective, reserved, undemonstrative

  2. showing urgent desire or interest

    "an ardent science-fiction fan who has read virtually all of his favorite author's many works"

    similar: agog, antsy, anxious, athirst, avid, bonkers (informal), crazy, desirous, eager, enthused, enthusiastic, excited, gaga, geeked (slang), great, greedy, gung ho, hepped up, hopped-up, hot, hungry, impatient, juiced, keen, nuts, pumped, raring, solicitous, stoked (slang), thirsty, voracious, wild, champing at the bit, chomping at the bit
    related: engaged, interested, happy, hung up, obsessed, ambitious, appetent, covetous, craving, hankering, longing, pining, breathless, restive, restless, amenable, disposed, game, glad, inclined, ready, unreluctant, willing
    opposite: apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic
    near: casual, incurious, insouciant, nonchalant, unconcerned, uninterested, aloof, detached, disinterested, impassive, stolid, halfhearted, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, lukewarm, spiritless, averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath, reluctant, unwilling

  3. having a notably high temperature

    "under an ardent sun the band of bedouins made their way across the sandy wastes"

    similar: boiling, broiling, burning, fervent, fervid, fiery, hot, piping hot, red, red-hot, roasting, scalding, scorching, searing, sultry, superheated, sweltering, torrid, ultrahot, white-hot
    related: blazing, glowing, igneous, molten, seething, sizzling, heated, overheated, reheated, warmed, snug, toasty, warm, warmish, feverish, flushed, inflamed, canicular, muggy, steamy, summerlike, summery, tropical
    opposite: algid, arctic, bitter, bone-chilling, cold, freezing, frigid, frozen, glacial, ice-cold, iced, icy
    near: chill, chilly, coldish, cool, coolish, nippy, snappy, blizzardly, frosty, snowy, subfreezing, subzero, wintry, chilled, cooled, refrigerated, unheated, benumbed, numb, shivering

Related Entry: Ardent spirits (plural noun)

Ardent spirits is a different word from Ardent. The synonyms below are for ardent spirits, not for ardent.

  1. a distilled beverage that can make a person drunk

    "a pro-temperance political cartoon from the 1920s that depicted the evils of ardent spirits"

    similar: alcohol, aqua vitae, booze, bottle, drink, firewater, grog, hooch (slang), inebriant, intoxicant, John Barleycorn, juice (slang), liquor, lush (slang), moonshine, potable, rum, sauce (slang), spirits, stimulant, strong drink, tipple
    related: aperitif, bracer, chaser, digestif, nightcap, belt, load, nip, peg (British), pop, shooter, shot, slug, snifter, snort, tot, whet, cocktail, mixed drink, ale, beer, brew, brewage, brewski (slang), home brew, malt liquor, microbrew, mum, nappy (chiefly Scottish), mead, sake, wine, barley-bree (chiefly Scottish), brandy, gin, liqueur, mao-tai, mescal, schnapps, tequila, vodka, whiskey, Dutch courage
    opposite: nonintoxicant
    near: mocktail, mix, mixer, pop, soda, soda pop, soft drink

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Ardent

The most common words with a similar meaning to Ardent:

Slang: geeked, stoked
Informal: bonkers
blazing, burning, charged, demonstrative, emotional, fervent, fervid, feverish, fiery, flaming, glowing, hot-blooded, impassioned, incandescent, intense, passional, passionate, perfervid, red-hot, religious, superheated, torrid, vehement, warm, warm-blooded, agog, antsy, anxious, athirst, avid, crazy, desirous, eager, enthused, enthusiastic, excited, gaga, great, greedy, gung ho

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Ardent

Words with the opposite meaning of Ardent:

cold, cool, dispassionate, emotionless, impassive, unemotional, apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic, algid, arctic, bitter, bone-chilling, freezing, frigid, frozen, glacial, ice-cold, iced, icy

Related Words for Ardent

gushing, gushy, maudlin, mawkish, mushy, saccharine, sappy, schmaltzy, sentimental, sloppy, sugary, histrionic, melodramatic, zealous, enamored, infatuated, obsessed, uninhibited, unreserved, unrestrained, frenzied, orgiastic, overemotional, overexcited, overheated, engaged, interested, happy, hung up, ambitious

Near Antonyms of Ardent

detached, dry, impersonal, objective, reserved, undemonstrative, casual, incurious, insouciant, nonchalant, unconcerned, uninterested, aloof, disinterested, stolid, halfhearted, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, lukewarm, spiritless, averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath, reluctant, unwilling, chill, chilly, coldish

Word Forms of Ardent

Derived words: ardently (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Ardent

Middle English ardaunt, ardent "burning, fiery, passionate," borrowed from Middle French ardent, ardant, going back to Old French, borrowed from Latin ardent-, ardens "burning, fiercely hot, shining, eager, passionate," from present participle of ardēre "to burn, emit light or flame, be fiercely hot, be violently excited, be eager," derivative of āridus, ārdus "dry, waterless" arid

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Ardent

Words & Phrases Containing Ardent

ardent spirits

Frequently Asked Questions about Ardent

What does "Ardent" mean?

"Ardent" means characterized by warmth of feeling typically expressed in eager zealous support or activity. As an adjective, it is defined as: characterized by warmth of feeling typically expressed in eager zealous support or activity. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Ardent"?

Other words for "Ardent" include blazing, burning, charged, demonstrative, emotional, fervent, fervid and feverish. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Ardent" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Ardent"?

There are 137 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Ardent". Common alternatives include blazing, burning, charged, demonstrative, emotional, fervent, fervid, feverish, fiery and flaming.

What is the opposite of "Ardent"?

Antonyms of "Ardent" include cold, cool, dispassionate, emotionless, impassive, unemotional, apathetic and indifferent. Near antonyms include detached, dry, impersonal and objective.

How do you use "Ardent" in a sentence?

Examples of "Ardent" in a sentence: "made ardent declarations of love to the woman he someday hoped to marry"; "an ardent science-fiction fan who has read virtually all of his favorite author's many works"; "under an ardent sun the band of bedouins made their way across the sandy wastes".

Is "Ardent" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Ardent" is an adjective.

Is "Ardent" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Ardent" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Ardent"?

"Ardent" is pronounced /ˈär-dᵊnt/ and divided into syllables as ar·dent.