fervent
Part of speech: adj
Morphological type: simple
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”).
Inflected forms:
form: more fervent
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most fervent
pos: adj
tags: superlative
Senses:
gloss: Very hot; burning, scorching; also, glowing with heat.
pos: adj
examples: 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.
gloss: Of cold: intense, severe.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: [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.
gloss: 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.
pos: adj
tags: historical
obsolete
examples: The common Camomill is of complexion hoate and dry, and not ſo feruent as the Romaine Camomill, but more pleaſant and gentill.
gloss: Of a person, or their actions, interests, or nature: exhibiting persistent belief or conviction, and/or enthusiasm or zeal; ardent, earnest, passionate.
pos: adj
tags: figuratively
examples: Butt above all thyngꝭ [thynges, i.e., things] have fervent love a monge you. For love covereth the multitude of ſines.
Two thinges haue mooued me (moſt noble Princeſſe) hauing newly tranſlated into Engliſh this Herball or Hiſtorie of Plantes […] The other was, that earneſt zeale, and feruent deſire that I haue, and a long time haue had, to ſhewe my ſelfe (by yeelding ſome fruite of paineful diligēce [diligence]) a thankeful ſubiect to ſo vertuous a Soueraigne, ⁊ a fruitful member of ſo good a cõmon [common] Weale.
He ſpide his foe vvith felonous intent, / And feruent eyes to his deſtruction bent.
To mark the verven / Heart of a Beaſt, the very Pig, the Pig, / This very morning, as he vvas a roaſting, / Cry'd out his Eyes, and made a ſhovv, as he vvould / Ha' bit in tvvo the Spit; as he vvould ſay, / There ſhall no Roaſt-meat be this diſmal day.
[T]he marriage vovv […] is ſo ſtrict and avvfull a bond, that methinks they had need vvell vveigh every branch of it, ere they enter it; and by the ferventeſt praiers implore that God, vvho is the vvitneſs, to be their aſſiſtant too in its performance.
[I]f he can ſupport the trouble, the pain and the damage chearfully, it proves the glovv of his kindneſs the ferventer, and conſequently heightens the obligation and the endearment to ſuch, as are ſenſible vvhat it is that ſupports him.
As I returned my fervent hopes were dashed by so many fears; my impatience became in the highest degree painful.
Many fervent souls / Strike rhyme on rhyme, who would strike steel on steel / If steel had offered, in a restless heat / Of doing something.
Never again would those fresh lips touch his lips with their fervent kiss!
President Joe Biden issued a fervent appeal Thursday for stricter gun laws – including a ban on assault weapons, tougher background check laws and a higher minimum age of purchase – as a spate of gun massacres have left the nation shaken and prompted new discussions on Capitol Hill about how to prevent them.
gloss: Of a thing such as a battle, unrest, etc.: intense, severe; also, of a wild animal: fierce.
pos: adj
tags: archaic
figuratively
examples: When the battel is hotteſt ⁊ in al places moſt fierce ⁊ feruent, a bende of choſen and picked yong men, which be ſworne to liue ⁊ dye togethers, take vpon them to deſtroye theire aduerſaries capitaine, hym they inuade now with preuy wyeles, now by opē [open] ſtrength.
[T]here appeared vnto th^ẽ [them] a bore of a monſtrous ſhape, vvonderfull fat, vvith horrible haire, a skin ſet vvith ſtanding briſtles, rough vpon the back, & his mouth continually foaming out aboundance of froath, & the ſound of his gnaſhing teeth ringing like the ratling of armor; hauing fire-burning eies, a deſpitefull looke, a violent force, and euery vvay feruent: […]
A moment ends the fervent din, / And all is hushed, without and within; […]
Antonyms: unfervent
Related words: fever
ferment
fervid
fervor
fervour
Derived words: fervently
ferventness
perfervent
superfervent
unfervent
Translations: