ardent spirits
- noun
- Archaic
:
aguardientes
- He offered a selection of ardent spirits at the bar, including brandy, vodka, and gin.
Examples
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The ban on ardent spirits was controversial among citizens who believed in personal freedom.
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We must ask you not to sell ardent spirits or guns to the Indians.
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Many people enjoy celebrating special occasions with ardent spirits like whiskey or rum.
Synonyms
342
3.2
A strong alcoholic drink made by distilling, like whiskey or vodka
55
2.5
A strong alcoholic drink made from grains or fruits
3
3.4
An alcoholic drink that is distilled, like whisky or vodka
1
3.0
Strong alcoholic drinks like whiskey, vodka, or gin
A strong distilled alcoholic drink like brandy
How Alcoholic
Surface Forms
Morphology
There is a detectable link between the parts: 'spirit' as a distilled drink and 'ardent' suggesting intensity or 'fiery' quality, so a learner could partly infer that the phrase refers to strong alcoholic drinks. However, 'ardent' more commonly means 'enthusiastic' to B1 learners and the use of 'ardent' to mean 'strong' for beverages is somewhat literary/archaic, so the exact sense is not fully predictable without exposure. Because the compositional relation exists but requires a less common sense of 'ardent', the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Ardent spirits may come from an old idea that spirits were the drink's 'spirit' or inner part and that ardent meant 'burning'. People called these fiery, strong liquors ardent spirits, which is why today the phrase means 'strong distilled drinks'.