vehemence

V4E1H4E1M3E1N1C3E1
/ˈviːəmən(t)s//ˈviːhəmən(t)s/

noun

An intense concentration, force or power.

“The bear attacked with vengeance and vehemence.”

Similar
emphasisferocityfiercenessfuriousnessfuryviolencewildness
OriginMiddle English vehemens ← Old French vëemence ← Latin vehementia →
UncommonScrabble 19
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounvehemence (usually uncountable, plural vehemences)

plural vehemences

  1. uncountableusuallyAn intense concentration, force or power.

    The bear attacked with vengeance and vehemence.

  2. uncountableusuallyA wild or turbulent ferocity or fury.

    His response was bursting with hatred and vehemence.

    1 more example

    This worrisome tendency was on display in recent weeks as Israelis reacted with striking vehemence to remarks by UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, and US ambassador to Israel, Daniel Shapiro.

    2016 February 6, Israel’s prickliness blocks the long quest for peace, “The National”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)
  3. uncountableusuallyEagerness, fervor, excessive strong feeling.

    I could not wonder at the vehemence of her care, her very soul was tenderness […]

    1826, [Mary Shelley], chapter I, in The Last Man. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 8

Synonyms & antonyms

nounintensity or forcefulness of expression

Similar
emphasis
Broader
intensityintensiveness

nounthe property of being wild or turbulent

Similar
ferocityfiercenessfuriousnessfuryviolencewildness
Broader
intensityintensiveness
Also see
ardencyemphasisferocityfiercenessfuriousnessfuryheatobstinacyone-track mindresolutionstubbornnessviolencewildness

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinvehementia“eagerness, strength”
  2. Old Frenchvëemence
  3. Middle Englishvehemens
  4. Englishvehemence

From Middle English vehemens, vemance, from Old French vëemence, vehemence, from Latin vehementia (“eagerness, strength”), from vehemens (“eager”).

More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian стремителност, я́рост
  • стремителност (stremitelnost)An intense concentration, force or power
  • я́рост (járost)A wild or turbulent ferocity or fury
  • страст (strast)Eagerness, fervor, excessive strong feeling
Chinese Mandarin 熱烈 /热烈
  • 熱烈 /热烈 (rèliè)Eagerness, fervor, excessive strong feeling
Finnish rajuus, kiihkeys
  • rajuusAn intense concentration, force or power
  • kiihkeysAn intense concentration, force or power
German Heftigkeit, Vehemenz
  • HeftigkeitAn intense concentration, force or power
  • VehemenzAn intense concentration, force or power
  • HeftigkeitA wild or turbulent ferocity or fury
  • VehemenzA wild or turbulent ferocity or fury
  • HeftigkeitEagerness, fervor, excessive strong feeling
  • VehemenzEagerness, fervor, excessive strong feeling
Italian veemenza, veemenza
  • veemenzaAn intense concentration, force or power
  • veemenzaA wild or turbulent ferocity or fury
  • veemenzaEagerness, fervor, excessive strong feeling
Portuguese veemência
  • veemênciaAn intense concentration, force or power
Romanian vehemență, vehemență
  • vehemențăAn intense concentration, force or power
  • vehemențăA wild or turbulent ferocity or fury
Russian неи́стовство, я́рость
  • неи́стовство (neístovstvo)An intense concentration, force or power
  • я́рость (járostʹ)A wild or turbulent ferocity or fury
Spanish vehemencia, hervor
  • vehemenciaAn intense concentration, force or power
  • hervorAn intense concentration, force or power
Turkish şiddet
  • şiddetA wild or turbulent ferocity or fury
Cite this entry
APA

vehemence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vehemence

MLA

“vehemence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vehemence. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vehemence,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vehemence.

Source: vehemence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.