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
  • Formula 1 Key Takeaways Formula 1 Is Luxury’s Most Sophisticated Customer Acquisition Platform While other sports offer visibility, F1 provides 800 million passionate consumers who are aligned with standards that truly make a luxury product.
    Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
  • And to the passionate fans who’ve boldly joined us on this journey — THANK YOU.
    Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • Habba in the past served as a personal lawyer to President Trump and remains a fervent supporter.
    Niall Stanage, The Hill, 21 May 2025
  • The clandestine network selected Pilecki, a 39-year-old veteran and fervent Polish nationalist, to infiltrate Auschwitz, report on its operations and organize fellow prisoners with the object of overthrowing the German camp’s superintendents.
    Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • The husband greeted Qasem Hassan with a warm smile.
    Eyal Press, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
  • These warm doors can accelerate growth, shorten sales cycles and unlock strategic opportunities that cold outreach or paid ads rarely can.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • Recognizing that gulf is a sad thing for her, and Huston holds Anderson’s intense close-ups with an expression both loving and rueful at once. 40.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025
  • The faction's power grew with the shocking debut of Jacob Fatu, another member of the Anoa'i family known for his intense and destructive style in other promotions.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx and Kirk Franklin — each of whom the Doggfather personally shouted out during his speech — also took home the same honor, making for emotional moments throughout the four-hour ceremony.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 June 2025
  • Set in early 2010s Taipei during the rise of social media, the series examines generational rifts, shifting identities and the emotional toll of public opinion in Taiwan’s rapidly evolving society.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • In the days after her speech, the young graduate has received nationwide media attention, along with a torrent of ardent support and biting criticism.
    Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
  • Devoted Knicks fans Spike Lee and Ben Stiller sat beside the couple: Lee, of course one of the most ardent and drippiest of the legion of celebrity fans, wore an orange and blue striped blazer and pant set, with a matching bower hat.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Aside from honoring the tenured in the game, the culture remains enthusiastic about who is next.
    Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
  • Trump is used to an enthusiastic crowd, but this was different: These men and women went against their union to support this deal.
    Salena Zito, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Both have engendered a loyalty in their audiences which verges on the religious.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
  • The plaintiffs -- which included a group of Arkansas voters and the Christian Ministerial Alliance, a religious organization based in Little Rock -- argued the map weakens the weight of Black voters residing in southeast Pulaski County.
    Alex Thomas, Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Perfervid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfervid. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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