vehemence

See also: véhémence

English

WOTD – 16 August 2007

Etymology

From Middle French vehemence, from Latin vehementia (“eagerness, strength”), from vehemens (“eager”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈviːəmən(t)s/, /ˈviːhəmən(t)s/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Noun

vehemence (usually uncountable, plural vehemences)

1. An intense concentration, force or power.

   The bear attacked with vengeance and vehemence.

2. A wild or turbulent ferocity or fury.

   His response was bursting with hatred and vehemence.

   • 2016 February 6, Israel’s prickliness blocks the long quest for peace, “The National”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎^[1]:

     This worrisome tendency was on display in recent weeks as Israelis reacted with striking vehemence to remarks by UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, and US ambassador to Israel, Daniel Shapiro.

3. Eagerness, fervor, excessive strong feeling.
   • 1826, [Mary Shelley], chapter I, in The Last Man. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 8:

     I could not wonder at the vehemence of her care, her very soul was tenderness […]

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:obstinacy

Related terms

• vehemency
• vehement

Translations

An intense concentration, force or power

• Bulgarian: стремителност (bg) f (stremitelnost)
• Finnish: rajuus (fi), kiihkeys (fi)
• German: Heftigkeit (de) f, Vehemenz (de) f
• Italian: veemenza (it) f
• Portuguese: veemência (pt) f
• Romanian: vehemență (ro) f
• Russian: неи́стовство (ru) n (neístovstvo)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: žestina (sh) f, vehementnost (sh) f, vehemencija (sh) f

• Spanish: vehemencia (es) f, hervor m

A wild or turbulent ferocity or fury

• Bulgarian: я́рост (bg) f (járost)
• Georgian: მძვინვარება (mʒvinvareba)
• German: Heftigkeit (de) f, Vehemenz (de) f
• Italian: veemenza (it) f
• Romanian: vehemență (ro) f
• Russian: я́рость (ru) f (járostʹ)
• Sanskrit: त्विष् (sa) f (tviṣ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: žestina (sh) f, bijes (sh) m, vehementnost (sh) f,

Eagerness, fervor, excessive strong feeling

• Bulgarian: страст (bg) f (strast)
• Georgian: მგზნებარება (mgznebareba), აღტაცება (aɣṭaceba)
• German: Heftigkeit (de) f, Vehemenz (de) f
• Italian: veemenza (it) f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: žar (sh) m, strast (sh) f, vehementnost (sh) f

Further reading

• “vehemence”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “vehemence”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “vehemence”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.