PASSION Synonyms: 243 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'passion' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of passion are affection , emotion , feeling , and sentiment . While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion. // revenge became his ruling passion

Q: When is it sensible to use 'affection' instead of 'passion'?

The synonyms affection and passion are sometimes interchangeable, but affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings. // a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

Q: How are the words 'emotion' and 'feeling' related as synonyms of 'passion'?

Emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling , encompasses both positive and negative responses. // the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

Q: When would 'feeling' be a good substitute for 'passion'?

The meanings of feeling and passion largely overlap; however, feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it. // the feelings that once moved me are gone

Q: When can 'sentiment' be used instead of 'passion'?

The words sentiment and passion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea. // her feminist sentiments are well known

passion

noun

ˈpa-shən

Definition of passion

as in enthusiasm

depth of feeling your passion for your cause is admirable, but you still can't insult people who disagree with you

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in love

a feeling of strong or constant regard for and dedication to someone married at the age of 18, they share a passion that has lasted for over half a century

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in crush

a strong but often short-lived liking for another person her passion passed when she got to know him

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as in desire

a strong wish for something a passion to become a doctor

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in emotion

a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation people are sometimes slaves to their own passions

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in feeling

passions plural general emotional condition people who are swayed by their passions and not by reason

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as in lust

intense sexual desire their relationship began with passion but a deep love quickly grew between them

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

frigidity

as in lustfulness

sexual appetite the kind of pent-up passion that comes from having spent the winter in remote isolation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word passion distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of passion are affection, emotion, feeling, and sentiment. While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

When is it sensible to use affection instead of passion?

The synonyms affection and passion are sometimes interchangeable, but affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

How are the words emotion and feeling related as synonyms of passion?

Emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

When would feeling be a good substitute for passion?

The meanings of feeling and passion largely overlap; however, feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

the feelings that once moved me are gone

When can sentiment be used instead of passion?

The words sentiment and passion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of passion Membership is curated for genuine automotive passion, not just wealth, allowing members to truly unleash their high-performance vehicles and refine their skills without administrative hassle. — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The league has a deep, complicated, messy history, and local fandoms are rich with lore and passion. — Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 In the case of The Odyssey, which is millennia-old, or Green Lantern [comic series], which is on the right side of the century mark, our engagement in these works generates a high level of passion. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026 Jack Chef Jack has combined his passions of the beach and cooking by working at a beach club in Cornwall. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for passion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for passion

Noun

Wang’s remarks underscore the gap between investor enthusiasm for humanoid robots and their current commercial capabilities.

— Anniek Bao,Jenni Reid,Jenny Lee, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
Alice presents two ideas, one delivered without any enthusiasm, the other dropped as a joke.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of enthusiasm

Noun

Founder Chau Nguyen said the idea grew out of his lifelong love of cars.

— Alexa Liacko, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Based on David Nicholls’ bestselling book, the series stars Marnie (Foy) and Michael (Macfadyen), who unexpectedly fall in love when their mutual friend Cleo (Crome) brings a group together for a walking weekend in the UK’s Lake District.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of love

Noun

Prosecutors won a 77-year sentence on Wednesday for 27-year-old Kyle Spitze on charges of producing child pornography, possessing and accessing the material, and abetting the distribution of animal crush videos.

— Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
Beyond any of the sociocultural flotsam and jetsam, hanging out with your crush on a lake at a northern latitude both softens and distills all the brain-stem-deep associations with what summer means.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of crush

Noun

Having a comfy and accommodating chair can reduce the desire to get up give you more time to get more work done.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Trump’s desire, which is to coat the granite facade with white paint, has been met with significant pushback from historians who say that covering the historic building’s granite exterior with paint could trap moisture and damage the stone.

— News Desk, Artforum, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of desire

Noun

Graphic autopsy photos shown in court Before McDonald brought emotion to the witness stand, the day began with some testimony that appeared excruciating for the Shakur family.

— Andy Rose, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Heavy Metal earned raves for its unruly combination of intimate songwriting, feverish emotion and left-field ambition, and the Carnegie Hall performance put that material in a setting almost comically grand enough to match its scale.

— SPIN Staff, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of emotion

Noun

There’s a small kitchenette and landing with a dining table, nice for a morning coffee or simply the feeling of having a little more space.

— Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
Featuring appearances from Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Ye, YG, Black Thought, Larry June and others, the album also finds Game seemingly airing out some long-simmering feelings about none other than Kendrick Lamar.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of feeling

Noun

Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
The intensity of weather events in that span caused significant devastation across the state, and the August storms have only exacerbated the impact on communities and local governments.

— John Tufts, IndyStar, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of intensity

Browse Nearby Words

pass (into)

passion

passional

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Passion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passion. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of passion

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Synonyms of passion

noun

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Articles Related to passion

What kind of lover are you?

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More from Merriam-Webster on passion

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Word of the Day

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A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

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