Word of the Day:

October 19, 2026

fervid

adjective FER-vid

What it Means

Fervid is used to describe people or things that express or are expressive of strong feelings.

// The core of the book is the fervid letters the friends exchanged during the years they were apart.

Fervid in Context

“Fervid superfans of high-profile groups often pore over members’ appearances, performances, and private lives. Perceived ‘bad’ behavior such as smoking or drinking can earn widespread public backlash, forcing stars to live under strict rules.” — Jessie Yeung, CNN, 16 Jan. 2026

More example sentences

Did You Know?

The metaphor of strong emotions bubbling over simmers in the roots of fervid, which comes from the Latin verb fervēre, meaning “to boil.” In English, this root gave us not only fervid but the similar-sounding and sometimes synonymous word fervent. But while fervid usually suggests warm emotion that is expressed in a spontaneous or feverish manner (as in “fervid basketball fans”), fervent is reserved for a kind of emotional warmth that is steady and sincere (as in “a fervent belief in human kindness”). Fervid fans of kimchi or sauerkraut (or fervent followers of anything fermented), may appreciate that fervēre is also the root of ferment.

Word Family Quiz

Unscramble the letters to create a verb that comes from Latin fervēre (“to boil”) and can mean “to bubble, hiss, and foam as gas escapes” or “to show liveliness”: VFFCEEREES.

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