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having, expressive of, or characterized by intense feeling; p-ssionate; fervent:
an ardent vow; ardent love.
intensely devoted, eager, or enthusiastic; zealous:
an ardent theatergoer. an ardent student of french history.
vehement; fierce:
they were frightened by his ardent, burning eyes.
burning, fiery, or hot:
the ardent core of a star.
contemporary examples

the club was originally established in answer to the wasp clubs around town that ardently kept jews out.
ruth madoff’s private world lucinda franks april 5, 2009

where you dabbled in so-called spiritual disciplines, you now ardently devote.
horoscopes for june 12-18, 2011 starsky + c-x june 11, 2011

even as hispanics favored democrats this week, some republicans wooed them ardently and made surprising inroads.
how democrats can recover will marshall november 8, 2014

the country he had so ardently defended and the city of benghazi, which he had helped to save and he so loved, proved his undoing.
remembering libyan amb-ssador christopher stevens bernard-henri lévy september 11, 2012

white evangelicals are slightly more skeptical, but the poll found that it made no difference in how ardently they support romney.
why voters don’t care about mitt romney’s mormonism david sessions july 25, 2012

historical examples

but i soon began to love her for her virtues as ardently as though i had wooed her of my own initiative.
the apologia and florida of apuleius of madaura lucius apuleius

he thought that it was very strange that he should think so ardently of kissing maggie.
the foolish lovers st. john g. ervine

the leisure hours of the youthful poet were ardently devoted to literary culture.
the modern scottish minstrel, volume vi various

would to g-d i as firmly believed it, as i ardently wish it!
the letters of robert burns robert burns

the fatigued remnant of the cavalry division now engaged in tackling the reinforcements that cronje had so ardently expected.
south africa and the transvaal war, vol. iv (of 6) louis creswicke

adjective
expressive of or characterized by intense desire or emotion; p-ssionate: ardent love
intensely enthusiastic; eager: an ardent longing
glowing, flashing, or shining: ardent eyes
(rare) burning: an ardent fever
adj.

early 14c., of alcoholic distillates, brandy (ardent spirits), etc., from old french ardant (13c.) “burning, hot; zealous,” from latin ardentem (nominative ardens) “glowing, fiery, hot, ablaze,” also used figuratively of p-ssions, present participle of ardere “to burn,” from pie root -as- “to burn, glow” from pie root -as- “to burn, glow” (cf. old english æsce “ashes;” see ash (n.1)).

ardent spirits (late 15c.) so called because they are inflammable, but the term now, if used at all, probably is felt in the figurative sense. the figurative sense (of “burning with” p-ssions, desire, etc.) is from late 14c.; literal sense of “burning, parching” (c.1400) remains rare. related: ardently.