Passion — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈpa-shən/ pas·sion

Meaning & Definition of Passion

Passion (noun)

  1. intense romantic affection, love
  2. sexual desire
  3. a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept

Passion (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. depth of feeling

    "your passion for your cause is admirable, but you still can't insult people who disagree with you"

    similar: ardency, ardor, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, fervor, fire, heat, intenseness, intensity, passionateness, vehemence, violence, warmth, white heat
    related: cathexis, emotionalism, emotionality, histrionics, mawkishness, melodrama, sappiness, sentimentality, eagerness, earnestness, excitement, gusto, keenness, zest, fanaticism, fever, hot-bloodedness, infatuation, mania, obsession, zeal, compassion, responsiveness, sentiment, sympathy, tenderness, torridity, torridness
    opposite: impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, insensibleness, insensitiveness, insensitivity
    near: aloofness, calmness, collectedness, composure, detachedness, dryness, phlegm, reserve, reservedness, reticence, taciturnity, apathy, indifference, stoicism, stoniness, unconcern, stiffness, woodenness, chilliness, coldness, coolness, frigidity, frigidness

  2. a feeling of strong or constant regard for and dedication to someone

    "married at the age of 18, they share a passion that has lasted for over half a century"

    similar: affection, attachment, devotedness, devotion, fondness, love
    related: appetite, fancy, favor, like, liking, partiality, preference, relish, taste, craving, crush, desire, infatuation, longing, lust, yearning, ardor, eagerness, enthusiasm, fervor, zeal, appreciation, esteem, estimation, regard, respect, adoration, adulation, deification, idolatry, idolization, worship, allegiance, faithfulness, fealty, fidelity, loyalty, steadfastness
    opposite: abomination, hate, hatred, loathing, rancor
    near: allergy, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, disfavor, dislike, enmity, hostility, abhorrence, disgust, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion, misanthropy

  3. a strong but often short-lived liking for another person

    "her passion passed when she got to know him"

    similar: crush, infatuation, mash
    related: fixation, obsession, affection, devotion, fondness, love, craze, fad, rage, vogue

  4. a strong wish for something

    "a passion to become a doctor"

    similar: appetency, appetite, craving, desire, drive, hankering, hunger, itch, jones (slang), letch, longing, lust, pining, thirst, thirstiness, urge, yearning, yen
    related: compulsion, impulse, impulsion, will, zeal, liking, love, taste, weakness, eagerness, impatience, want, wish, necessity, need, requirement, obsession, acquisitiveness, avarice, avariciousness, avidity, covetousness, cupidity, greed, greediness, rapaciousness, rapacity, cacoëthes, mania
    near: abhorrence, abomination, allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disgust, disinclination, dislike, disliking, distaste, hatred, loathing, nausea, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion, apathy, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

  5. a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation

    "people are sometimes slaves to their own passions"

    similar: chord, emotion, feeling, sentiment
    related: impression, perception, sensation, sense, angle, attitude, outlook, perspective, standpoint, viewpoint, belief, conviction, judgment, mind, notion, opinion, persuasion, verdict, view, receptiveness, receptivity, responsiveness, sensibility, sensitiveness, sensitivity
    near: insensitiveness, insensitivity, unfeelingness

  6. general emotional condition

    "people who are swayed by their passions and not by reason"

    similar: feeling, heartstrings, sensibilities
    related: cheer, frame, humor, mode, mood, spirit, temper

  7. intense sexual desire

    "their relationship began with passion but a deep love quickly grew between them"

    similar: ardor, concupiscence, eros, eroticism, horniness, itch, lust, lustfulness
    related: erotomania, nymphomania, satyriasis, lasciviousness, lewdness, libidinousness, licentiousness, lickerishness, randiness, salaciousness, wantonness
    near: frigidity

  8. sexual appetite

    "the kind of pent-up passion that comes from having spent the winter in remote isolation"

    similar: concupiscence, desire, eroticism, horniness, hots, itch, lech, letch, libidinousness, lust, lustfulness, lustihood, salaciousness
    related: libido, ardor, heat, rut, erotomania, hypersexuality, lecherousness, lechery, nymphomania, satyriasis, venery
    near: abstinence, celibacy, chastity, frigidity, frigidness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Passion

The most common words with a similar meaning to Passion:

Slang: jones
ardency, ardor, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, fervor, fire, heat, intenseness, intensity, passionateness, vehemence, violence, warmth, white heat, affection, attachment, devotedness, devotion, fondness, love, crush, infatuation, mash, appetency, appetite, craving, desire, drive, hankering, hunger, itch, letch, longing, lust, pining, thirst, thirstiness, urge

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Passion

Words with the opposite meaning of Passion:

impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, insensibleness, insensitiveness, insensitivity, abomination, hate, hatred, loathing, rancor

Related Words for Passion

cathexis, emotionalism, emotionality, histrionics, mawkishness, melodrama, sappiness, sentimentality, eagerness, earnestness, excitement, gusto, keenness, zest, fanaticism, fever, hot-bloodedness, mania, obsession, zeal, compassion, responsiveness, sympathy, tenderness, torridity, torridness, fancy, favor, like, liking

Near Antonyms of Passion

aloofness, calmness, collectedness, composure, detachedness, dryness, phlegm, reserve, reservedness, reticence, taciturnity, apathy, indifference, stoicism, stoniness, unconcern, stiffness, woodenness, chilliness, coldness, coolness, frigidity, frigidness, allergy, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, disfavor, dislike

Word Forms of Passion

Inflections: passions

Derived words: passionless (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Passion

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin passion-, passio suffering, being acted upon, from Latin pati to suffer patient

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Passion

Words & Phrases Containing Passion

passion fruit, passion play, Passion Sunday, Passion Week, with a passion, the Passion

Frequently Asked Questions about Passion

What does "Passion" mean?

"Passion" means intense romantic affection, love. As a noun, it is defined as: intense romantic affection, love. It has 8 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Passion"?

Other words for "Passion" include ardency, ardor, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, fervor and fire. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Passion" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Passion"?

There are 182 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Passion". Common alternatives include ardency, ardor, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, fervor, fire, heat and intenseness.

What is the opposite of "Passion"?

Antonyms of "Passion" include impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, insensibleness, insensitiveness, insensitivity, abomination and hate. Near antonyms include aloofness, calmness, collectedness and composure.

How do you use "Passion" in a sentence?

Examples of "Passion" in a sentence: "your passion for your cause is admirable, but you still can't insult people who disagree with you"; "married at the age of 18, they share a passion that has lasted for over half a century"; "her passion passed when she got to know him".

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

"Passion" is a noun.

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

As a B1-level word, "Passion" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Passion"?

"Passion" is pronounced /ˈpa-shən/ and divided into syllables as pas·sion.