Meanings
plural ardors · alternative Canada UK ardour
- UScountableuncountableGreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion.
I rushed towards her, and embraced her with ardour; but the deathly languor and coldness of the limbs told me, that what I now held in my arms had ceased to be the Elizabeth whom I had loved and cherished.
1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter VI, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume III, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, page 120 - UScountableuncountableIntense heat.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSpirit; enthusiasm; passion.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
nounfeelings of great warmth and intensity
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eHs-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eHs-eh₁yeti
- Proto-Italic*āzēō
- Latināreō
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Latināridus
- Latinār(i)dus
- Latinārdeō
- Latinārdor
- Old Frenchardur
- Anglo-Normanardour
- Middle Englishardour
- Englishardor
From Middle English ardour, ardowr, ardure, from Anglo-Norman ardour, from Old French ardur, from Latin ardor, from ardere (“to burn”).
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian плам, жар
- плам (plam)great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- жар (žar)great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- страст (strast)great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- усърдие (usărdie)great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
Chinese Mandarin 熱情 /热情
- 熱情 /热情 (rèqíng)great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
Czech vášeň, vroucnost
- vášeňgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- vroucnostgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- zanícenígreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- nadšeníspirit
- zápalspirit
- vášeňspirit
Danish iver
- iverspirit
Esperanto ardo
- ardogreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
Finnish lämpö, tunteen palo
- lämpögreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- tunteen palogreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- intogreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- innostusgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- innokkuusgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- intohimogreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
French ardeur, ferveur
- ardeurgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- ferveurgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- ardeurheat
German Begeisterung, Feuereifer
- Begeisterunggreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- Feuereifergreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- Hitzegreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- Überschwanggreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
Hungarian lelkesedés, hév
- lelkesedésgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- hévgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- szenvedélygreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
Italian ardore, fervore
- ardoregreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- fervoregreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
Japanese 熱情, 情熱
- 熱情 (netsujō)great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- 情熱 (jōnetsu)great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
Lithuanian užsidegimas
- užsidegimasspirit
Māori mate kanehe
- mate kanehegreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
Portuguese ardor, ardor
- ardorgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- ardorspirit
- ardorheat
Romanian ardoare, înflăcărare
- ardoaregreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- înflăcăraregreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- pasiunegreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- ardențăgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- ardoarespirit
- pasiunespirit
- arșițăheat
- ferbințealăheat
Russian пыл, рве́ние
- пыл (pyl)great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- рве́ние (rvénije)great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- усе́рдие (usérdije)great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- страсть (strastʹ)spirit
- жара́ (žará)heat
- зной (znoj)heat
- жар (žar)heat
Slovak zápal, zapálenie
- zápalgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- zapáleniegreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- vrúcnosťgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- horlivosťgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
Spanish fervor, ardor
- fervorgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- ardorgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- pasiónspirit
- ardorheat
Swedish glöd, iver
- glödgreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- ivergreat warmth of feeling; fervor; passion
- passionspirit
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with ardor
All rhymes →Cite this entry
ardor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ardor
“ardor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ardor. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ardor,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ardor.
Source: ardor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.