passionately

passionately — adverb

1. with powerful emotion, enthusiasm, or belief that other people can clearly notic

1.adverbB2
Definition

with powerful emotion, enthusiasm, or belief that other people can clearly notice.

Example

Leah spoke passionately about school lunches at the town meeting.

verb + passionately about + noun

Fans in Osaka sang passionately when the drummer returned to the stage.

Common collocations
  • speak passionately
  • argue passionately
  • feel passionately about
  • defend passionately
  • believe passionately
Synonyms
  • fervently

    more formal and often used for beliefs or support

  • ardently

    literary and slightly old-fashioned in ordinary speech

  • intensely

    focuses on strength, not necessarily warmth or belief

  • emotionally

    stresses visible feeling, sometimes with less control

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

verb + passionately

verb + passionately about + noun

verb + passionately + that-clause

Usage Note

Most often follows verbs of speaking, arguing, supporting, or caring, and it commonly appears with 'about' or a that-clause. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense can describe feelings about ideas, causes, or public issues, not only romantic situations.

Common Mistakes

Leah is passionately about school lunches.
Leah is passionate about school lunches.
after 'be', use the adjective 'passionate', not the adverb.
Marcus feels passionately for climate change.
Marcus feels passionately about climate change.
this sense usually takes 'about' before a topic or cause.

2. with obvious sexual desire or intense romantic feeling toward someone.

2.adverb
Definition

with obvious sexual desire or intense romantic feeling toward someone.

Example

The two dancers held each other passionately at the end.

hold each other passionately

In the film, Marco kissed Elena passionately beside the train.

kiss + object + passionately

Common collocations
  • kiss passionately
  • embrace passionately
  • hold passionately
  • whisper passionately
  • pull someone passionately into one's arms
Synonyms
  • sensually

    focuses more on physical pleasure and the body

  • erotically

    more explicit and often used in writing about sex

  • ardently

    can fit romantic love, but sounds literary

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

verb + passionately

kiss + someone + passionately

embrace/hold + someone + passionately

Usage Note

Usually modifies verbs such as 'kiss', 'embrace', 'hold', or 'whisper' in romantic scenes. Unlike sense 1, the object is normally a lover or desired person, not an idea, cause, or opinion.

Common Mistakes

The kiss was passionately.
The kiss was passionate.
after 'be', use the adjective 'passionate', not the adverb.
The manager looked passionately at the sales report.
The manager looked closely at the sales report.
this sense suggests romantic or sexual feeling, so it sounds wrong with ordinary work situations.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Passionately' is the broad everyday choice when someone speaks, argues, supports, or feels with very strong emotion. 'Fervently' is more formal and often appears with beliefs, hopes, or political support. 'Ardently' can also mean strong feeling, but it sounds literary or old-fashioned in normal conversation. 'Intensely' focuses on sheer strength and can describe many kinds of force, not always warm feeling. 'Emotionally' stresses visible emotion and can suggest less control. Compare: 'Leah spoke passionately about school lunches', 'voters fervently backed the reform', and 'the father reacted emotionally to the news'.

passionately ↗ferventlyardentlyintenselyemotionally ↗

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

'Passionately' was formed in English from 'passionate' and the adverb ending '-ly'. The family comes from 'passion', which reached English through French from Latin 'passio', first linked to suffering and later to strong feeling. From that history, the modern adverb developed the idea of showing intense emotion, belief, love, or desire.