English Reference
adjective

passionate

adj.
US /ˈpæʃənət/ UK /pˈæʃənət/ pas·sion·ate

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    having or showing very strong feelings of enthusiasm or belief.

    characterised by intense emotion or strong belief in a particular cause, hobby, or principle.

    Simple

    She is a passionate gardener who spends every weekend working in her backyard.

    In context

    The candidate delivered a passionate speech about environmental protection, hoping to inspire the younger generation of voters.

    Usage

    Often followed by the preposition 'about'.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    showing strong feelings of love or sexual attraction.

    expressing or relating to strong sexual desire or romantic love.

    Simple

    The movie ends with a passionate kiss on the balcony.

    In context

    Their passionate relationship was often volatile, marked by intense arguments followed by equally intense reconciliations.

The article stemmed from her thesis and is a topic she's passionate about.

Phys.org· 13 Aug 2026

Berger – who spent much of his career in passionate conversation with the past – probably knew that better than anyone.

The Guardian· 10 Aug 2026

Etymology 1

From Middle English passionat, from Medieval Latin passiōnātus (“affected, impassioned, libidinous, easely angered”). Equivalent to passion + -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Compare French passionné.

Etymology 2

From passion + -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French passionner.

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

This entry
Origin la-med passiōnātus
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated