passion means the sufferings of Jesus Christ from the night of the Last Supper to the Crucifixion. It carries an Arena rating of 1920, earned across 44 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, passion ranks #64 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #230 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #876 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #915 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words.
passion is pronounced /ˈpæʃən/.
Why “passion” is a great word
A powerful, compelling, and often overwhelming emotion, such as intense romantic love, fervent enthusiasm, or extreme hatred. From Latin *passiōn-*, *passiō* ("suffering, enduring"), from *passus*, past participle of *patī* ("to suffer, endure"), its etymology reveals the original wound of being acted upon, an affliction from which the sense of 'strong emotion' developed. Unlike “enthusiasm,” which suggests eager but manageable delight, or “obsession,” which implies a compulsive and narrowing fixation, passion retains its ancient capacity for both creation and ruin. It is the ardor that forges a masterpiece through sleepless nights, the fury that shatters a lifetime of trust, and the devotion that makes a quiet room feel like a cathedral—the glorious and terrifying fact of being wholly, helplessly, possessed by the recognition that to burn is, finally, to be consumed.
Etymology
From Latin Passiō, a proper-noun use of passiō (“suffering”) (a sense of passion which is now obsolete or archaic in English).
name
- The sufferings of Jesus Christ from the night of the Last Supper to the Crucifixion.e.g.“Empty bread, empty mouths, combien réaction.
Empty bread, empty mouths, talk about the Passion.
Not everyone can carry the weight of the world.
Not everyone can carry the weight of the world.” — 1983 April 12, R.E.M., “Talk About The Passion”, in Murmur:
noun
- A true desire sustained or prolonged.
- Any great, strong, powerful emotion, especially romantic love or extreme hate.e.g.“We share a passion for books.”
- Fervor, determination.
- An object of passionate or romantic love or strong romantic interest.e.g.“It started as a hobby, but now my motorbike collection has become my passion.”
- Sexual intercourse, especially when very emotional.e.g.“We shared a night of passion.”
- The suffering of Jesus leading up to and during his crucifixion.
- A display, musical composition, or play meant to commemorate the suffering of Jesus.
- Suffering or enduring of imposed or inflicted pain; any suffering or distress.e.g.“a cardiac passion”
- The state of being acted upon; subjection to an external agent or influence; a passive condition
- The capacity of being affected by external agents; susceptibility of impressions from external agents.
- An innate attribute, property, or quality of a thing.e.g.“[...] to obtain the knowledge of some passion of the circle.”
- Disorder of the mind; madness.
verb
- To suffer pain or sorrow; to experience a passion; to be extremely agitated.e.g.“Dumbly she passions, frantically she doteth.” — 1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC:
- To give a passionate character to.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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