Definition and pronunciation
passion /ˈpæʃən/ — noun: a very strong feeling of love, desire, enthusiasm, or anger; an intense drive or emotion that deeply moves a person.
Easy explanation
Passion is when you feel something very strongly — love, anger, excitement, or creativity. It can describe deep love for a person, enthusiasm for art or work, or strong sexual desire.
Grammatical formation
- Noun: passion, passions.
- Adjective: passionate.
- Adverb: passionately.
- Verb (rare, poetic): to passion (not used in modern English).
- Common verbs: feel passion, express passion, awaken passion, pursue passion, suppress passion.
Meanings and nuances
- Romantic/sexual love — intense desire and intimacy between people.
- Strong enthusiasm — love for work, art, music, learning, or hobbies.
- Emotional intensity — deep anger, devotion, or excitement.
- Religious/spiritual sense — “The Passion of Christ” (suffering for belief).
- Life drive — what motivates someone’s purpose or joy.
With prepositions and variants
- passion for something (a passion for music).
- passion about something (passionate about justice).
- passion between people (sexual or romantic).
- passion in life/work/art.
Common collocations
a passion for life, passion for learning, passion for music, passion in love, deep passion, true passion, sexual passion, fiery passion, burning passion, passion and creativity, passion project, passion play, passion-driven
Idioms and neighboring expressions
follow your passion, burning with passion, crime of passion, lose your passion, passion runs high, do something with passion, passion of one’s life
Word comparisons
- passion vs desire: desire is wanting something; passion is intense, often ongoing feeling.
- passion vs love: love is broad and enduring; passion is intense and fiery.
- passion vs enthusiasm: enthusiasm is positive energy; passion is deeper, often overwhelming.
- passion vs lust: lust is physical/sexual craving; passion is broader (love, work, life).
Real-life examples
- “She had a passion for music since childhood.”
- “Their relationship was full of passion.”
- “The teacher spoke with passion about justice.”
- “He pursued his passion for painting.”
- “The Passion of Christ is central in Christianity.”
Sample sentences
- “He felt a burning passion for art.”
- “Their love was filled with passion.”
- “She followed her passion for science.”
- “Anger and passion fueled the protest.”
- “He lived life with great passion.”
- “Passion in relationships can fade without care.”
- “The actor performed with passion.”
- “She struggled to control her passion.”
- “Cooking became his true passion.”
- “The novel was driven by themes of passion and betrayal.”
Synonyms
desire, ardor, love, enthusiasm, zeal, fervor, devotion, obsession, craving, intensity, excitement
Antonyms
indifference, apathy, coldness, disinterest, detachment, boredom
Related terms
passionate, passion project, erotic self, desire, love, lust, creativity, enthusiasm, devotion, drive, motivation
Connection to sexuality
Yes — passion is strongly connected to sexuality when describing romantic or erotic intensity. “Sexual passion” or “passionate love” emphasizes physical and emotional desire. But passion also exists beyond sex — in art, hobbies, beliefs, and life purpose.
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