Pās'sion1, n.
(păsh'un), n. [Lat. passio, from pati, passus, to suffer; Fr. passion, Pr. passio, Sp. pasion, It. passione.]
Sense 1. A suffering or enduring; endurance of action on the part of something else.
A body at rest affords us no idea of any active power to move, and, when set in motion, it is rather a passion than an action in it. Locke.
Sense 2. Hence, specifically, the suffering of Christ; the trial, crucifixion, and death of the Savior.
To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs. Acts i. 3.
Sense 3. Capacity of being affected or impressed by external agents; susceptibility of impressions from external agents. [Rare.]
The differences of moldable and not moldable, scissible and not scissible, and many other passions of matter, are plebeian notions. Bacon.
Sense 4. Any condition of the soul in which it is conceived to be passive under the influence of the object; also, the capacity for emotion.
The nature of the human mind can not be sufficiently understood, without considering the affections and passions, or those modifications or actions of the mind consequent upon the apprehension of certain objects or events in which the mind generally conceives good or evil. Hutcheson.
Sense 5. Hence, strong feeling prompting to action; vehement emotion; feeling or emotion in which the subject is moved by an impulse beyond control; specifically, (a.) Anger; wrath; violent resentment. (b.) Love; ardent affection; devotion; fondness. “A passion fond to idolatry.” Macaulay.
He owned his passion for Amestris. Rowe.
(c.) Eager desire; strong predilection; controlling choice and inclination.
When statesmen are ruled by faction and interest, they can have no passion for the glory of their country. Addison.
Sense 6. A pursuit engaged in with fondness, ardent inclination, or the like; as, poetry became to him a passion.
Sense 7. Exhibition of deep feeling or overpowering excitement; passionate display. [Obs.] “Tear the passion to tatters.” Shak.
Synonyms—PASSION, FEELING, EMOTION. When any feeling or emotion completely masters the mind, we call it a passion; as, a passion for music, dress, &c.; especially is anger (when thus extreme) called passion. The mind, in such cases, is considered as having lost its self-control, and become the passive instrument of the feeling in question.
All the other passions fleet to air, As doubtful thoughts and rash-embraced despair. Shak.
Cruel his eye, but cast Signs of remorse and passion, to behold The fellows of his crime condemned Forever now to have their lot in pain. Milton.
The term passion, and its adverb passionately, often express a very strong predilection for any pursuit, or object of taste—a kind of enthusiastic fondness for any thing. Cogan.