Vehement
/ˈviː.ə.mənt/noun
Showing strong and forceful emotion, feeling, or action.
Did you know?Vehement comes from Latin *vehementem*, originally tied to *vehere* meaning “to carry,” so the word’s oldest sense is about something being borne along with unstoppable force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wegh-
“to carry, to move, to transport”
Latin
Latin
vehere
“to carry, transport”
Latin
Latin
vehemens
“carried away, impetuous, violent”
Old French
Old French
vehement
“forceful, intense”
Middle English
English
vehement
“strongly moved or forceful”
Modern English
English
vehement
“showing strong, intense feeling or force”