Standard Lemma guide

passion

name · noun · verb · 22 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpæʃən/
  • rhymes with -æʃən
  • [ˈphæʃən] ~ [ˈphæʃn̩]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P AE1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

The sufferings of Jesus Christ from the night of the Last Supper to the Crucifixion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A true desire sustained or prolonged.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any great, strong, powerful emotion, especially romantic love or extreme hate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • We share a passion for books.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Fervor, determination.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An object of passionate or romantic love or strong romantic interest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • It started as a hobby, but now my motorbike collection has become my passion.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Sexual intercourse, especially when very emotional.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • We shared a night of passion.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The suffering of Jesus leading up to and during his crucifixion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: capitalized, countable, uncountable, usually

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A display, musical composition, or play meant to commemorate the suffering of Jesus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

Suffering or enduring of imposed or inflicted pain; any suffering or distress.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

Examples

  • a cardiac passion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

The state of being acted upon; subjection to an external agent or influence; a passive condition

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: action

11

noun

Meaning 11

The capacity of being affected by external agents; susceptibility of impressions from external agents.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

An innate attribute, property, or quality of a thing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

Examples

  • [...] to obtain the knowledge of some passion of the circle.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

Disorder of the mind; madness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To suffer pain or sorrow; to experience a passion; to be extremely agitated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ache, grieve, hurt, agonize, anguish, pain, passion, suffer, thole, throe, wark, wring

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To give a passionate character to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: impassion

Antonyms: none provided

16

noun

Meaning 16

the trait of being intensely emotional

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heat, warmth

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: emotionality, emotionalism

Narrower terms: fieriness

17

noun

Meaning 17

any object of warm affection or devotion;

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the theater was her first love
  • he has a passion for cock fighting

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: love

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: object

18

noun

Meaning 18

a strong feeling or emotion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: passionateness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: feeling

Narrower terms: infatuation, wildness, abandon, ardor, ardour, fervor, fervour, fervency, fire, fervidness, storminess

19

noun

Meaning 19

a feeling of strong sexual desire

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sexual desire, eros, concupiscence, physical attraction

20

noun

Meaning 20

an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mania, cacoethes

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: irrational motive

Narrower terms: agromania, dipsomania, alcoholism, potomania, egomania, kleptomania, logorrhea, logomania, monomania, possession, necrophilia, necrophilism, necromania, phaneromania, pyromania, trichotillomania

21

noun

Meaning 21

something that is desired intensely

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his rage for fame destroyed him

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rage

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: desire

22

noun

Meaning 22

the suffering of Jesus at the Crucifixion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Passion of Christ

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: agony, suffering, excruciation

History

Etymology

From Latin Passiō, a proper-noun use of passiō (“suffering”) (a sense of passion which is now obsolete or archaic in English).

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *peh1- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *ph1tós Proto-Italic *patosder.? Proto-Indo-European *pet-der.? Latin patior Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin passiōbor. Old English passion ▲ Latin passiōbor. Old French passionbor. Middle English passioun English passion From Middle English passioun, passion, from Old French passion (and in part from Old English passion), from Latin passio (“suffering”), noun of action from perfect passive participle passus (“suffered”), from deponent verb patior (“to suffer”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh1- (“to hurt”), see also Old English fēond (“devil, enemy”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌰𐌽 (faian, “to blame”).

Across languages

Translations

251 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: Passió — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • French: Passion — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • German: Passion — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Greek: Άγια Πάθη (Ágia Páthi) — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Irish: Páis — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Old Irish: céssad — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Italian: Passione — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Latin: Passiō — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Persian: مصائب (masā'eb) — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Portuguese: Paixão — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Spanish: Pasión — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Old Spanish: Passion — sufferings of Jesus Christ
  • Albanian: pasion — any great emotion
  • Arabic: عَاطِفَة (ʕāṭifa) — any great emotion
  • Arabic: شَغْف (šaḡf) — any great emotion
  • Aramaic: ܚܫܐ (ħaššā’) — any great emotion
  • Armenian: կիրք (kirkʻ) — any great emotion
  • Azerbaijani: nəfs — any great emotion
  • Azerbaijani: ehtiras — any great emotion
  • Belarusian: страсць (strascʹ) — any great emotion
  • Belarusian: страсьць (strasʹcʹ) — any great emotion
  • Belarusian: запа́л (zapál) — any great emotion
  • Bulgarian: страст (strast) — any great emotion
  • Catalan: passió — any great emotion
  • Chinese Mandarin: 激情 (jīqíng) — any great emotion
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熱情 /热情 (rèqíng) — any great emotion
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熱心 /热心 (rèxīn) — any great emotion
  • Czech: vášeň — any great emotion
  • Danish: lidenskab — any great emotion
  • Danish: passion — any great emotion
  • Dutch: passie — any great emotion
  • Dutch: hartstocht — any great emotion
  • Esperanto: pasio — any great emotion
  • Estonian: kirg — any great emotion
  • Finnish: intohimo — any great emotion
  • French: passion — any great emotion
  • Galician: paixón — any great emotion
  • Georgian: ვნება (vneba) — any great emotion
  • Georgian: ჟინი (žini) — any great emotion
  • Georgian: გზნება (gzneba) — any great emotion
  • Georgian: გატაცება (gaṭaceba) — any great emotion
  • German: Leidenschaft — any great emotion
  • German: Passion — any great emotion
  • Greek: πάθος (páthos) — any great emotion
  • Ancient Greek: πάθος (páthos) — any great emotion
  • Haitian Creole: pasyon — any great emotion
  • Hebrew: תְשׁוּקָה (tshuká) — any great emotion
  • Hindi: जुनून (junūn) — any great emotion
  • Hindi: उमंग (umaṅg) — any great emotion
  • Hungarian: szenvedély — any great emotion
  • Hungarian: indulat — any great emotion
  • Icelandic: ástríða — any great emotion
  • Ido: pasiono — any great emotion
  • Indonesian: gairah — any great emotion
  • Indonesian: renjana — any great emotion
  • Indonesian: hasrat — any great emotion
  • Irish: ainmhian — any great emotion
  • Italian: passione — any great emotion
  • Japanese: 激情 (gekijō) — any great emotion
  • Kazakh: құмарлық (qūmarlyq) — any great emotion
  • Kazakh: ынтықтық (yntyqtyq) — any great emotion
  • Kazakh: құштарлық (qūştarlyq) — any great emotion
  • Korean: 열정 (yeoljeong) — any great emotion
  • Central Kurdish: ڤیان (vyan) — any great emotion
  • Kyrgyz: ашыктык (aşıktık) — any great emotion
  • Kyrgyz: күйгөндүк (küygöndük) — any great emotion
  • Latin: perturbatio — any great emotion
  • Latvian: kaislība — any great emotion
  • Lithuanian: aistra — any great emotion
  • Macedonian: страст (strast) — any great emotion
  • Maltese: passjoni — any great emotion
  • Māori: korou — any great emotion
  • Māori: awata — any great emotion
  • Māori: koharatanga — any great emotion
  • Middle English: passioun — any great emotion
  • Mongolian: тачаал (tačaal) — any great emotion
  • Norwegian Bokmål: lidenskap — any great emotion
  • Norwegian Bokmål: pasjon — any great emotion
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: lidenskap — any great emotion
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: pasjon — any great emotion
  • Old English: þolung — any great emotion
  • Old English: weamet — any great emotion
  • Old English: ontendnes — any great emotion
  • Old English: mihtmod — any great emotion
  • Old English: bryne — any great emotion
  • Iranian Persian: شُوق (šowġ) — any great emotion
  • Iranian Persian: شَغَف (šaġaf) — any great emotion
  • Iranian Persian: شور (šur) — any great emotion
  • Polish: pasja — any great emotion
  • Polish: namiętność — any great emotion
  • Portuguese: paixão — any great emotion
  • Romanian: pasiune — any great emotion
  • Russian: страсть (strastʹ) — any great emotion
  • Russian: аффе́кт (affékt) — any great emotion
  • Russian: запа́л (zapál) — any great emotion
  • Scottish Gaelic: dìoghras — any great emotion
  • Scottish Gaelic: dèine — any great emotion
  • Scottish Gaelic: sonas — any great emotion
  • Scottish Gaelic: fearg — any great emotion
  • Serbo-Croatian: стра̑ст — any great emotion
  • Serbo-Croatian: strȃst — any great emotion
  • Slovak: vášeň — any great emotion
  • Slovene: strast — any great emotion
  • Spanish: pasión — any great emotion
  • Swedish: passion — any great emotion
  • Swedish: lust — any great emotion
  • Swedish: lidelse — any great emotion
  • Swedish: kärlek — any great emotion
  • Swedish: glöd — any great emotion
  • Swedish: hänförelse — any great emotion
  • Swedish: affekt — any great emotion
  • Tagalog: kapusukan — any great emotion
  • Tajik: шавқ (šavq) — any great emotion
  • Tajik: рағбат (raġbat) — any great emotion
  • Tajik: шағаф (šaġaf) — any great emotion
  • Tajik: эҳтирос (ehtiros) — any great emotion
  • Tocharian B: eṅkäl — any great emotion
  • Turkish: tutku — any great emotion
  • Turkish: ihtiras — any great emotion
  • Ottoman Turkish: احتراص (ihtirâs) — any great emotion
  • Ukrainian: страсть (strastʹ) — any great emotion
  • Ukrainian: при́страсть (prýstrastʹ) — any great emotion
  • Ukrainian: за́пал (zápal) — any great emotion
  • Urdu: جَذْبَہ (jazba) — any great emotion
  • Urdu: جُنُون (junūn) — any great emotion
  • Urdu: شَغَف (śaġaf) — any great emotion
  • Uzbek: ehtiros — any great emotion
  • Uzbek: qizgʻinlik — any great emotion
  • Vietnamese: đam mê — any great emotion
  • Arabic: عَزْم (ʕazm) — fervor, determination
  • Armenian: կիրք (kirkʻ) — fervor, determination
  • Belarusian: страсць (strascʹ) — fervor, determination
  • Belarusian: страсьць (strasʹcʹ) — fervor, determination
  • Belarusian: запа́л (zapál) — fervor, determination
  • Bulgarian: увлече́ние (uvlečénie) — fervor, determination
  • Dutch: passie — fervor, determination
  • Dutch: hartstocht — fervor, determination
  • Finnish: intohimo — fervor, determination
  • Finnish: kiihko — fervor, determination
  • Finnish: tunteen palo — fervor, determination
  • German: Leidenschaft — fervor, determination
  • German: Passion — fervor, determination
  • Greek: πάθος (páthos) — fervor, determination
  • Hindi: अनुराग (anurāg) — fervor, determination
  • Hungarian: szenvedély — fervor, determination
  • Hungarian: buzgalom — fervor, determination
  • Hungarian: buzgóság — fervor, determination
  • Hungarian: elszántság — fervor, determination
  • Hungarian: lelkesedés — fervor, determination
  • Hungarian: hév — fervor, determination
  • Icelandic: ákafi — fervor, determination
  • Indonesian: dorongan — fervor, determination
  • Indonesian: hasrat — fervor, determination
  • Latin: perturbatio — fervor, determination
  • Latvian: kaislība — fervor, determination
  • Polish: pasja — fervor, determination
  • Russian: страсть (strastʹ) — fervor, determination
  • Russian: запа́л (zapál) — fervor, determination
  • Sanskrit: अनुराग (anurāga) — fervor, determination
  • Scottish Gaelic: dìoghras — fervor, determination
  • Scottish Gaelic: dèine — fervor, determination
  • Slovak: vášeň — fervor, determination
  • Slovene: strast — fervor, determination
  • Ottoman Turkish: حرارت (hararet) — fervor, determination
  • Ukrainian: страсть (strastʹ) — fervor, determination
  • Ukrainian: запа́л (zapál) — fervor, determination
  • Arabic: شَغَف (šaḡaf) — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Catalan: passió — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Dutch: passie — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Dutch: hartstocht — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Finnish: intohimo — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Finnish: intohimon kohde — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Georgian: ვნება (vneba) — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Georgian: გატაცება (gaṭaceba) — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • German: Leidenschaft — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • German: Passion — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Greek: πάθος (páthos) — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Greek: έρωτας (érotas) — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Hungarian: szenvedély — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Latin: perturbatio — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Māori: hemonga — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Māori: unuora — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Norwegian Bokmål: pasjon — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: pasjon — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Polish: pasja — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Portuguese: paixão — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Portuguese: ardor — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Russian: па́ссия (pássija) — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Russian: страсть (strastʹ) — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Russian: пристра́стие (pristrástije) — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Russian: увлече́ние (uvlečénije) — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Slovak: vášeň — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Ukrainian: при́страсть (prýstrastʹ) — object of passionate love or strong interest
  • Arabic: آلَام (ʔālām) — suffering of Jesus
  • Aramaic: ܚܫܐ (ħaššā’) — suffering of Jesus
  • Belarusian: му́ка (múka) — suffering of Jesus
  • Belarusian: стра́сці (strásci) — suffering of Jesus
  • Belarusian: стра́сьці (strásʹci) — suffering of Jesus
  • Bulgarian: мъ́ка (mǎ́ka) — suffering of Jesus
  • Bulgarian: стра́сти (strásti) — suffering of Jesus
  • Catalan: passió — suffering of Jesus
  • Chinese Mandarin: 受難 /受难 (shòunàn) — suffering of Jesus
  • Cornish: passyon — suffering of Jesus
  • Czech: pašije — suffering of Jesus
  • Dutch: passie — suffering of Jesus
  • Finnish: kärsimys — suffering of Jesus
  • French: Passion — suffering of Jesus
  • German: Passion — suffering of Jesus
  • Gothic: 𐌸𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (þulains) — suffering of Jesus
  • Greek: πάθη (páthi) — suffering of Jesus
  • Hindi: दुःखभोग (duḥkhabhog) — suffering of Jesus
  • Hungarian: passió — suffering of Jesus
  • Icelandic: passía — suffering of Jesus
  • Indonesian: sengsara — suffering of Jesus
  • Indonesian: passio — suffering of Jesus
  • Japanese: 受難 (junan) — suffering of Jesus
  • Korean: 수난 (sunan) — suffering of Jesus
  • Latin: passio — suffering of Jesus
  • Māori: mamae — suffering of Jesus
  • Middle English: passioun — suffering of Jesus
  • Norwegian Bokmål: pasjon — suffering of Jesus
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: pasjon — suffering of Jesus
  • Iranian Persian: مَصائِب (masâ'eb) — suffering of Jesus
  • Polish: pasja — suffering of Jesus
  • Polish: męka — suffering of Jesus
  • Portuguese: paixão — suffering of Jesus
  • Romanian: patimi — suffering of Jesus
  • Russian: му́ка (múka) — suffering of Jesus
  • Russian: стра́сти (strásti) — suffering of Jesus
  • Serbo-Croatian: му̏ка — suffering of Jesus
  • Serbo-Croatian: mȕka — suffering of Jesus
  • Turkish: çile — suffering of Jesus
  • Ukrainian: му́ка (múka) — suffering of Jesus
  • Ukrainian: стра́сті (strásti) — suffering of Jesus
  • Ukrainian: стра́сти (strásty) — suffering of Jesus
  • Vietnamese: thương khó — suffering of Jesus
  • Vietnamese: khổ nạn — suffering of Jesus
  • Aramaic: ܚܫܐ (ħaššā’) — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Dutch: passie — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Finnish: passio — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Finnish: kärsimysnäytelmä — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • German: Passion — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Hungarian: passió — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Indonesian: passio — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Latin: passio — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Norwegian Bokmål: pasjon — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: pasjon — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Polish: pasja — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Portuguese: paixão — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Slovene: pasijon — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
  • Volapük: Lügadramat — commemoration of the suffering of Jesus
Real reading context

passion in complete knowledge articles

The Gâteau Affairs Arts & music · Accessible · 5 uses Taini Morrison Everyday life · Challenging · 4 uses Enrique Avellán Ferrés Literature & books · Advanced · 2 uses Paris by Night 100 Science & nature · Accessible · 2 uses Wee Li Lin Arts & music · Challenging · 2 uses Berthen Places & the world · Accessible · 1 uses