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fervid

fervid

1 9.9
Extremely hot and burning, like red metal in a fire
  • adjective
  • /ˈfɜrvɪd/
  • Archaic
: ferviente
  • The fervid flames danced in the fireplace.

Examples

  • The fervid sun beat down on the desert sands.

  • The travelers sought shelter from the fervid sun that blazed overhead.

  • A fervid glow emanated from the blacksmith’s forge late into the night.

  • Even the desert animals hid until the fervid afternoon cooled into early evening.

  • The fervid heat of the sun made the sand on the beach almost too hot to touch.

  • As the fervid flames danced in the fireplace, they cast a warm glow throughout the room.

  • The fervid lava flowed down the mountainside, glowing brightly against the night sky.

Synonyms

fiery
vsfervid
68 3.6

Very hot and like burning flames

focuses on intense burning or glowing without implying flames
flaming
vsfervid
51 1.8

Burning with a bright fire or very bright color

refers to strong heat or glow even without visible flame
red-hot
vsfervid
17 4.1

So warm it glows red

describes extreme burning or glowing without the red emphasis
sizzling
vsfervid
5 3.4

Very hot and making a hissing sound

means burning or glowing without implying any sound
igneous
vsfervid
  • Literature
1 9.6

Like fire, very bright or full of strong feeling

is literal intense heat rather than poetic suggestion
fervent
vsfervid
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Describes something very hot and burning, like fire or the sun, used in old writing

is identical in meaning but given as the main term
furnace-like
vsfervid
1 4.5

Extremely hot, like the inside of an oven

covers extreme burning or glowing without an oven comparison
hot as Hades
vsfervid
  • Informal
1 8.4

Very hot, with high temperature or strong spice

expresses extreme burning or glowing in archaic descriptive terms

Antonyms

318 1.0

The feeling of low temperature on your body

296 1.0

A fairly low temperature that feels pleasant

How Hot

fervid
  • Archaic
1 9.9
searing
26 4.1
scorching
15 3.7
hot
∞ 1.0
warm
∞ 1.0
lukewarm
11 2.3
cool
296 1.0

Surface Forms

fervid positive
fervider comparative
fervidest superlative

Morphology

fervid = ferv + id

The archaic sense 'extremely hot, burning' reflects the original Latin sense ('to boil') but this historical connection is not transparent to average learners or predictable from modern English morphemes.

Etymology

The word fervid originally meant very hot, from the Latin fervere 'to boil', and was used for burning or glowing heat. So in older writing fervid can mean 'extremely hot' as well as show strong, heated feeling.