Passionate and Impassioned

Passionate and Impassioned Passionate and Impassioned Passionate and Impassioned By Maeve Maddox A reader wonders about the words passionate and impassioned: Do they mean the same thing? If not, when should you use one and not the other? The word passion derives from a Latin verb that means â€Å"to suffer† or â€Å"to undergo.† One use of the noun is to name the sufferings of Jesus. For example, a â€Å"passion play† is a performance that reenacts the arrest and death of Jesus. The title of Dreyer’s play about the trial of Joan of Arc is called The Passion of Joan of Arc in reference to her sufferings, which the filmmaker felt paralleled the sufferings of Christ. Another sense of passion is â€Å"strong emotion.† It can refer to sexual passion or to a strong emotion like anger or indignation. A passionate person is readily swayed by emotions. In such expressions as â€Å"a passionate kiss† and â€Å"a passionate embrace,† the connotation is usually sexual. Someone swayed by strong feelings about some nonsexual purpose might be described as â€Å"a passionate reformer,† or â€Å"a passionate preacher.† Sports enthusiasts are said to be â€Å"passionate about football.† Although the words are mostly synonymous, impassioned perhaps has the connotation of strong feeling rooted in conviction. Here are some recent examples of both adjectives as used on the Web: The actor  then applied to the Grand Duke, and the latter, a  passionate lover  of  dogs, signified his desire that the request be granted. Part II explores the ways that prosecutorial  passion  might affect  plea. Because marriage is for the rest of my life, I think it will be more enjoyable if I married a person who is like a friend, as opposed to marrying for passionate love. WVU Womens Basketball Carey wants  passionate effort  against Oklahoma Freida Pinto Gave An Impassioned Feminist Speech Every Woman And Man Needs To Hear Impassioned crowds protest Ferguson decision in Boston Synonyms for passionate when the context is sexual: amorous ardent loving sexy sensual erotic lustful Synonyms for passionate in other contexts: intense emotional fervent vehement heated spirited energetic frenzied fiery wild violent Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of AdjectivesEmpathy "With" or Empathy "For"?What Is the Meaning of "Hack?"