Synonym Chooser

How is the word perfervid different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of perfervid are ardent, fervent, fervid, impassioned, and passionate. While all these words mean "showing intense feeling," perfervid implies the expression of exaggerated or overwrought feelings.

perfervid expressions of patriotism

When might ardent be a better fit than perfervid?

The words ardent and perfervid can be used in similar contexts, but ardent implies an intense degree of zeal, devotion, or enthusiasm.

an ardent supporter of human rights

In what contexts can fervent take the place of perfervid?

While in some cases nearly identical to perfervid, fervent stresses sincerity and steadiness of emotional warmth or zeal.

fervent good wishes

When can fervid be used instead of perfervid?

The words fervid and perfervid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fervid suggests warmly and spontaneously and often feverishly expressed emotion.

fervid love letters

When would impassioned be a good substitute for perfervid?

The synonyms impassioned and perfervid are sometimes interchangeable, but impassioned implies warmth and intensity without violence and suggests fluent verbal expression.

an impassioned plea for justice

When is it sensible to use passionate instead of perfervid?

While the synonyms passionate and perfervid are close in meaning, passionate implies great vehemence and often violence and wasteful diffusion of emotion.

a passionate denunciation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perfervid The scant paintings on view reverse an emphasis on figurative imagery in the 2019 Biennial, tilting toward a lately prevalent revival of abstraction in perfervid styles that have yet to demonstrate staying power. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022 This latest controversy won’t dent Thomas’s formidable reputation as a jurist, but it’s another mark against his perfervid critics who have no decency. Rich Lowry, National Review, 1 Apr. 2022 So why, with all this perfervid material at her disposal, did the director, Haifaa Al-Mansour, and her co-screenwriter, Emma Jensen, opt for such cautiousness? Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 May 2018 Down south near San Diego, gray-faced children toil in a slave-labor camp that Dickens could not have imagined in his most perfervid dreams. Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 4 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfervid
Adjective
  • Gabriella is a cousin of King Charles through her father Prince Michael's side of the family and a passionate musician who played an advisory role around the musical performances for Kate's Together at Christmas carol service in December at Westminster Abbey.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 19 May 2025
  • It’s been possible, but hard to find Fettercairn from independent bottlers in the United States, and those who seek it out are passionate about it, Boice said.
    Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • The resulting jump in bond yields to near two-decade highs raised long-term borrowing costs and served as a stark warning for the path ahead that was echoed privately by a handful of Trump allies and to CNN and publicly by one of Trump’s most fervent defenders.
    Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
  • Image Image For four years, despite the fervent hopes of the Lockerbie families, nothing happened.
    Henry Leutwyler Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • And waters in the eastern subtropical Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean are warmer than normal for this time of year.
    Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2025
  • Grilling the meat will keep the heat outdoors on a warm day.
    Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • That evening, there was intense fighting between the Army and the R.S.F, but Wanis slipped outside anyway.
    Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
  • Biden's physical and mental fitness has been the subject of intense scrutiny during and since his time in office, with questions about the former president's age and well-being ultimately forcing him to abandon his 2024 reelection bid.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • Melling portrays parking attendant Colin with the thrilling curiosity and emotional depth of a young gay man exploring his sexuality for the first time, while attempting to define his own desires and identity, independent of his much more experienced dom.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 18 May 2025
  • That tension, both emotional and class-based, gave the film a new dynamic.
    Jamie Lang, Variety, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • But a groundswell of protest art was answering the call with a new kind of ardent feeling that damned the false piety and hypocrisy of homophobic Christian doctrine.
    Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
  • Most were, like O’Neil, young and ardent admirers of the actor, who at that point was between movies and had a different kind of creative itch to scratch.
    Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • We are primed to value privileged or secret wisdom, vulnerable to flattery and suggestion, and enthusiastic about major leaps forward in scientific potential.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2025
  • Her personality will be a great addition to a loving, supportive and enthusiastic family.
    The Star, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Some of those details are in opposition to one another – the ancient and the modern, the religious and the secular -particularly in Riyadh.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 27 May 2025
  • The Nazis’ demonization of ethnic and religious minorities, as well as political opponents, led to the Holocaust.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 26 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Perfervid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfervid. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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