vehement

[vee-uh-muhnt]

adjective

1. zealous; ardent; impassioned.

   a vehement defense;

   vehement enthusiasm.

   Synonyms: burning, fervid, fervent, earnest, fiery
   Antonyms: dispassionate

2. characterized by rancor or anger; violent.

   vehement hostility.

   Antonyms: dispassionate

3. strongly emotional; intense or passionate.

   vehement desire.

4. marked by great energy or exertion; strenuous.

   vehement clapping.

vehement

/ ˈviːɪmənt /

adjective

1. marked by intensity of feeling or conviction; emphatic

2. (of actions, gestures, etc) characterized by great energy, vigour, or force; furious

Other Word Forms

• vehemence noun
• vehemently adverb
• nonvehement adjective
• overvehement adjective
• unvehement adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vehement¹

First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin vehement-, stem of vehemēns, vēmēns “violent, forceful”; of uncertain derivation

Word History and Origins

Origin of vehement¹

C15: from Latin vehemēns ardent; related to vehere to carry

Example Sentences

He doubled down in the face of the South African government's vehement rebuttal and signed an executive order last Friday freezing aid.

From BBC

A vehement nonsmoker, he kept in his office a cigarette box adorned with a skull and crossbones, to demonstrate their danger.

From Los Angeles Times

But online, this declaration of heroism was quickly complicated by vehement backlish.

From Salon

Magufuli was a vehement coronavirus sceptic and refused to put in place measures that the rest of the world had taken to control the spread of the virus, such as wearing face masks.

From BBC

Mars Storm Rucker as Whatsername, the girl Johnny shoots heroin with for the first time, seismically delivers the character’s emotionally vehement numbers.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• angry 
• ardent 
• emphatic 
• enthusiastic 
• fervent 
• fierce 
• forceful 
• furious 
• heated 
• impassioned 
• potent 
• rabid 
• violent 
• zealous