impassioned

Impassioned is an adjective that describes a person or expression characterized by intense emotion, fervor, or conviction. It typically refers to language, prose, or performance that seeks to move an audience through sincerity and strength of feeling. The term can apply to rhetoric, writing, or public speaking, as well as to personal demonstrations of emotion.

Etymology: The word comes from impassion, formed from passion with a prefix meaning to cause or to intensify. The adjective impassioned has been used in English since the early modern period to convey heightened emotional engagement.

Usage and nuance: Impassioned language emphasizes vigor and sincerity and is common in formal or literary contexts. It often implies a persuasive or morally charged intention, though it can simply describe a speaker’s earnest demeanor. It is related to synonyms such as fervent, ardent, and zealous, but impassioned tends to foreground the intensity of feeling and rhetorical force.

Examples: An impassioned plea for reform can sway public opinion; a lawyer delivered an impassioned defense that moved the jury.

See also: passion, impassion, fervor, rhetoric.