Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Expressing or characterized by warmth of feeling; passionate: an ardent lover.
- adj. Displaying or characterized by strong enthusiasm or devotion; fervent: "an impassioned age, so ardent and serious in its pursuit of art” ( Walter Pater).
- adj. Burning; fiery.
- adj. Glowing; shining: ardent eyes.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- ; burning; redhot; hence, figuratively, causing a sensation of burning: as, an ardent fever.
- Inflammable; combustible: only in the phrase ardent spirits (which see, below).
- Having the appearance or quality of fire; flashing; fierce.
- Having glowing or fiery passions or affections: as applied to the emotions themselves, showing vehemence; passionate; affectionate; zealous: as, ardent love or vows; ardent zeal.
- Nautical, having a tendency to gripe or come quickly to the wind: said of certain ships.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Hot or burning; causing a sensation of burning; fiery.
- adj. Having the appearance or quality of fire; fierce; glowing; shining.
- adj. Warm, applied to the passions and affections; passionate; fervent; zealous; vehement.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. glowing or shining like fire
- adj. characterized by strong enthusiasm
- adj. characterized by intense emotion
Etymologies
- First attested circa 14th century, Middle English ardaunt, from Anglo-Norman ardent, from Old French ardant, from Latin ardentem, nominative of ardens, present participle of ardeō ("I burn"). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English ardaunt, from Old French ardant, from Latin ārdēns, ārdent-, present participle of ārdēre, to burn; see as- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Cheney, who is known as an ardent hunter and fisherman stated, I'm tired of every liberal, socialist, pantywaist Democrat questioning the size of the trout I landed.”
The Huffington Post: Bill Allen: Cheney to Undergo Waterboarding
“After more than a decade of this flared-nostril life, taken up well past the point at which Victoria had abandoned herself to inconsolable widowhood, Jane wrote, "Sixty-two years of age, and an impetuous romantic girl of seventeen cannot exceed me in ardent passionate feelings.”
“Following this, the Shogun speaks to us of those whom he calls the ardent seekers after illusion.”
“The boy stood before him in ardent expectation, like a piece of red-hot iron awaiting the stroke of the hammer to mould it into shape, and every word had the power to either make or mar him.”
“The squaw was then ordered to fetch an earthen vessel of strong water; for so they called the ardent spirits which were given them by the Europeans, and which was even then”
“During the decade, ‘necking’ came to refer to ardent and prolonged kissing, while ‘petting’ described many kinds of erotic activity, but usually referred to caresses and fondling below the neck.”
“Beverages thus distilled are known as ardent spirits.”
“One finds greater pleasure in recalling her ardent and romantic attachment to the granddaughter of the Marechale de Luxembourg, the lovely Amelie de Boufflers, Duchesse de Lauzun, whose pen-portrait she sketched so gracefully and so tenderly; whose gentle sweetness and shy delicacy, in the rather oppressive glare of her surroundings, suggest”
“Shall we not, when hardships seethe about us, and our hearts momentarily quail, recall the ardent desire so poignantly voiced by”
“Latin and other works of classical scholarship, being also well known as the ardent supporter of Reuchlin in his dispute with the Church, and as the friend and correspondent of the central Humanist figure of the time, Erasmus, he watched with absorbing interest the movement which Luther had inaugurated.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘ardent’.
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hunting
crudely, unequivocal, obsolete, obscure, overtly, misdeed, shack, inherent, outcry, hefty, composed, poised and 319 more...
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sdamle1
echt
echt, apocalypse, resurgence, forthright, logorrhea, mercurial, torrid, exorcise, obscure, intrusive, morose, vindictive and 100 more...
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Ar!
ar, Ar, argon, are, area, arf, arc, ark, aardwolf, aardvark, aardcucumber, yardarm and 253 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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Words build meanings from origins( et...
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
discursive, exogenous, machinations, purportedly, sumptuous, congruity, cantankerous, incongruous, festoon, hessian, ratiocinative, stratigraphic and 2057 more...
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Sober/Stately/Steady
resolute, unfaltering, deliberate, resolved, circumspect, thoughtful, intent, earnest, ardent, intense, sedulous, laborious and 138 more...
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Words I like
A list contrived for the sole purpose of storing words I like to include in my writing; words that inspire or carry power for me.
contrite, meadow, sward, ossary, calumny, moribund, necropolis, chthonic, murmur, erstwhile, chime, beryl and 63 more...
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1000 words
abdicate, aberration, abet, abide, abject, ablution, abnegate, aboriginal, abortive, abrogate, abstemious, abstruse and 78 more...
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GRE 3500
abase, abash, abate, aberrant, abeyance, abjure, ablution, abut, accede, accentuate, acerbity, acetic and 133 more...
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Buttery
Words that make me feel cozy
Noodle, Nugget, Butter, Soft, Snug, Feather, Socks, Knit, Mug, Curl, Billow, Lounge and 315 more...
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Words
My list of words.
veritable, facetious, nadir, quixotic, apropos, acquiesce, ostensible, insipid, egregious, inveterate, coax, adroit and 409 more...
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GRE Words
abjure, unswear, state, rescission, indemnification, ab, reny, abnegate, vitiated, vitiate, adumbrated, abash and 378 more...
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fifi
verbs Adj Adv noun
indulge, convene, solve, dissolve, prospect, prospective, allege, resolve, accountable, administration, amid, agenda and 407 more...
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SAT vocab
abash, abate, abdicate, aberration, abhor, abject, abnegate, abortive, absolve, abstruse, accolade, accost and 175 more...
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SAT Vocab
Redundant.
problematic, proclivity, prodigal, prodigious, prodigy, profane, profligate, profound, profusion, proliferation, prolific, prologue and 455 more...
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List of Heraldry Terms
Words and phrases used in blazoning heraldic devices, along with names and other terms associated with the art and science.
Other similar lists can be found on Wordnik, especially that...seiant, duciper, bourdon, pouch, scrip, staff, ananas, besant d'argent, roundle, roundel, argent, allocamelus and 743 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for ardent.

ruzuzu It reminds me of the story of Artemis and Actaeon, except there she turned him into a stag and he was eaten by his own hounds.
Edit: It's true that part of what surprised me about my grandfather's joke was that she shot him. I mean, it's possible that he switched the two around for my benefit, but he doesn't seem the type to bother thinking to do that.... Feb 19, 2010
bilby But if he was hunting wouldn't he have been the one with the bow and arrow? I can imagine she might have brained him with the soap or kangaroo-tailed him with her fluffy towel but that's about all. Feb 19, 2010
ruzuzu Hey, that's iroquoisy. My grandfather and I were just discussing "The Story of The Ardent Hunter." He told me that a man was hunting in the forest when he came across a woman bathing in a small stream. They locked eyes and she asked, "Are you game?" He replied, "Of course I'm game," so she shot him with a bow and arrow. Feb 18, 2010