I. ˈpashən, ˈpaash-, ˈpaish- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English passion, passiun, from Old French, from Late Latin passion-, passio, literally, suffering, from Latin passus (past participle of pati to suffer) + -ion-, -io -ion; in senses 4 & 5 from Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin passion-, passio, translation of Greek pathos — more at patient
1. often capitalized
a.
(1) : the sufferings of Jesus on the cross
(2) : the sufferings of Jesus between the night of the Last Supper and his death including the agony in Gethsemane
places the redeeming passion of Christ at the heart of revelation — Times Literary Supplement
the last dark period culminating in the Passion — F.J.Rae
b. : one of the gospel narratives of the passion of Jesus read or sung as the Gospel for the Day on four different days in Holy Week
c. : a musical setting of such a narrative ; especially : an oratorio with narrative, chorales, airs, and choruses based on such a narrative
d. : passion play
2.
a. : the sufferings of a martyr : martyrdom
b. : a narrative of such sufferings
3.
a. obsolete : suffering
give her what comforts the quality of her passion shall require — Shakespeare
b. archaic : a bodily disorder causing suffering or distress
4.
a. : the state of being subjected to or acted on by what is external or foreign to one's true nature ; especially : a state of desire or emotion that represents the influence of what is external and opposes thought and reason as the true activity of the human mind — contrasted with action
b. : a capacity of being affected or acted upon by external agents or influences
moldable and not moldable … and many other passions of matter — Francis Bacon
5.
a.
(1) : emotion , feeling
give me that man that is not passion ' s slave — Shakespeare
his ruling passion is greed
(2) passions plural : the emotions as distinguished from reason
a study of the passions
b. : violent, intense, or overmastering emotion : depth or vehemence of feeling : a state of or capacity for emotional excitement
blue eyes that blazed with passion as he expounded his favorite theme — Honor Tracy
with enough passion to make a great poet — W.B.Yeats
when the immediate passions of the war recede into the background — C.E.Black & E.C.Helmreich
c. : an outbreak of anger or a display of bad temper
she flew into a passion and stabbed him — R.H.Davis
the grave and stately lady was for once in her life in a towering passion — William Black
d. archaic : a writing or speech marked by intense feeling
here she comes, and her passion ends the play — Shakespeare
e. : a fit of emotional agitation : a surrender to a particular feeling : an uncontrollable display of emotion
jumped up in a passion of alarm — Louis Auchincloss
began to sob and weep like a little boy, in a perfect passion of emotion — H.G.Wells
6.
a. : ardent affection : love
one of the truest passions that ever was inspired by woman was raised in this bosom by that lady — W.M.Thackeray
b. : a strong liking for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept : enthusiasm
became troubled with the passion for reforming the world — T.L.Peacock
a passion for chess
a passion for glory
c. : sexual desire
look with ruffian passion in her face — John Keats
d. : an object of desire or interest : something that commands one's love or devotion
she is his passion of the moment
fishing is his present passion
Synonyms:
fervor , ardor , enthusiasm , zeal : passion applies to intense, overwhelming, or driving emotion, sometimes displayed with agitated vehemence, sometimes indicating intense erotic feeling
with fanatical passion he attacked Calvinism and presented Methodism as teaching the only way of salvation — H.E.Starr
an ungovernable childlike passion — W.B.Yeats
launches into a frenzied oration with the passion of Savanarola — C.L.Sulzberger
the purely physical urges of sex and its gratification can be summed up as passion — Lois Pemberton
fervor may designate any strong steadily glowing lasting emotion
preached emancipation as a revival in benevolence, with a fervor which mobs could not silence — G.H.Barnes
the man who seizes on one deep-reaching idea, whether newly found or rediscovered, and with single-hearted fervor forces it upon the world — P.E.More
ardor may differ in suggesting a more demonstrative and excited feeling not so long-lived, although the two words are sometimes interchangeable
the raptures and ardors of sudden conversion to any cause — H.V.Gregory
imperialism left slain behind, she embraced with ardor the fantastic ideal of the cleaning up of England — Rose Macaulay
enthusiasm may apply to intense interest or admiration for something, often a matter more objective, tangible, or mundane than those calling forth ardor
whose proposed visit to the United States was then stirring enthusiasm among Louisiana-French people — American Guide Series: Louisiana
waging the campaign of 1856 with enthusiasm — Carol L. Thompson
zeal suggests enthusiastic devotion to a cause
missionary zeal
the zeal of the Inquisition to burn heretics — M.R.Cohen
his health was further affected by his zeal in public affairs as well as his enthusiasm in study — Havelock Ellis
Synonym: see in addition desire , distress , feeling .
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English passionen, from Middle French passionner, from passion
transitive verb
: to affect or fill with passion
turtles passion their voices cooingly — John Keats
intransitive verb
: to display or become affected by passion
beautiful garden where he had played and passioned in varying moments of grief and glee — George Moore