vehement
/ˈviː.ə.mənt/Showing very strong feeling, especially anger or strong disagreement. A vehement statement or reaction is expressed with great force and intensity. It often signals that someone feels very strongly and is not willing to back down.
- She issued a vehement denial of the charges against her.
- The crowd's vehement protest forced the committee to reconsider.
- He made a vehement case for changing the school policy.
Adinary Nuance
Vehement is often confused with its near-neighbors passionate and fervent. Passionate focuses on deep personal emotion — love, enthusiasm, or care for something — and works equally well for positive or negative feelings. Fervent carries a warm, sincere quality and is typically positive: a fervent supporter, a fervent prayer. Vehement, by contrast, stresses the sheer force and loudness of expression, and it almost always appears in contexts of conflict — denial, protest, opposition, or objection. If you want to say a student loves literature deeply, choose passionate; if a politician loudly rejects an accusation, vehement is the precise word.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- mãnh liệt
- Spanish
- vehemente
- Chinese
- 激烈
- Japanese
- 激しい
- Korean
- 격렬한
Etymology
From Latin "vehementem," meaning eager, violent, or impetuous, possibly combining "vehere" (to carry) and "mens" (mind). The word entered English in the late 15th century, retaining its Latin sense of forceful, driven emotion.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is 'vehement' a formal or informal word?
- Vehement is formal and sits comfortably in academic and journalistic writing. It appears frequently in IELTS essays and news reports. In everyday casual conversation, most people say 'strong' or 'heated' instead.
- What is the difference between 'vehement' and 'passionate'?
- Passionate describes a deep personal feeling or love for something — it is often positive. Vehement stresses how forcefully and loudly a feeling is expressed, and it almost always appears in contexts of conflict or disagreement. You would say 'passionate about music' but 'vehement objection to a plan.'
- Can 'vehement' be used to describe positive emotions?
- Rarely. Vehement most naturally collocates with words like denial, protest, opposition, and objection. While you can say 'vehement support,' it still implies the support was expressed with aggressive force rather than warmth.
- How can I use 'vehement' in an IELTS essay?
- You could write: 'There is vehement opposition to this policy among leading experts.' The word signals strong disagreement and adds academic weight to your argument without sounding overly emotional.