English Reference
Noun

fervor

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US /ˈfɝvɝ/ fer·vor UK spelling fervor's, fervor's, fervour

n.a very strong and excited feeling about something. You use this when someone has a lot of passion for a belief, a person, or an activity.

n.intense and passionate feeling; great warmth or earnestness of feeling. Often associated with religious, political, or patriotic conviction.


SIMPLE

The crowd cheered with great fervor.

CONTEXTUAL

The fans followed their team with a fervor that bordered on obsession, traveling across the country for every match.

COMPLEX

The revolutionary fervor that swept through the capital eventually gave way to a more pragmatic approach as the new government faced the realities of administration.

Usage

Typically used in the singular; often follows the preposition 'with'.

By framing this as a war, he riles up the public, energizes his base and ignites patriotic fervour.

Toronto Sun· 28 Aug 2026

From Middle English fervour, from Old French, from Latin fervor (“a boiling or raging heat, heat, vehemence, passion”), from fervere (“to boil, be hot”); see fervent.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin fervor
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated