vĕhĕmens (veemens, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 120 K. and H.; more freq. vēmens, Ter. And. 150; Cat. 50, 21; and Lucr. always, Lachm., Munro), entis, adj. [perh. Sanscr. vahis, out of, and mens; cf. vē-], very eager, violent, furious, impetuous, ardent, vehement, etc. (syn. violentus).
I Lit.: vehemens in utramque partem, Menedeme, es nimis, Aut largitate nimiā aut parsimoniā, Ter. Heaut. 440: Galba non in agendo solum, sed etiam in meditando vehemens atque incensus, Cic. Brut. 22, 88: in alios, id. Sull. 31, 87: vehemens feroxque naturā, id. Vatin. 2, 4; with severus (opp. lenissimus), id. Cat. 4, 6, 12; with inexorabilis, id. Sull. 31, 87; with dissolutus, id. Verr. 2, 5, 40, § 104; with acer, id. Caecin. 10, 28; with fortis, id. Off. 1, 28, 100: vehemens lupus et sibi et hosti Iratus pariter, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 28: canis, Phaedr. 2, 3, 1.—Of abstract things: acer et vehemens incitatio, Cic. de Or. 2, 43, 183: genus orationis vehemens atque atrox, id. ib. 2, 49, 200: vehemens et pugnax exordium dicendi, id. ib. 2, 78, 317: vehemens et aspera quaestio, Quint. 5, 10, 113: vehemens et grave senatusconsultum, Cic. Cat. 1, 1, 3. —
II Transf., in gen., active , forcible , vigorous , powerful , mighty , strong : satis vemens causa ad objurgandum, Ter. And. 150: Arcturus signum sum omnium acerrimum: Vehemens sum exoriens: quom occido vehementior, Plaut. Rud. prol. 71: imber, Lucr. 6, 517: vehementior cursus fluminum, Quint. 9, 4, 7: vehementissimus cursus, Hirt. B. G. 8, 15: fuga, id. ib. 8, 48: ictus, Lucr. 6, 311: pilum ... vehementius ictu missuque telum, Liv. 9, 19, 7: impetus, Amm. 19, 11, 15: brassica ... tenui suco vehementissima, very powerful , very efficacious , Cato R. R. 157, 2: medicamentum efficacius et vehementius, Scrib. Comp. 70: vitis vehementioribus statuminibus impedanda est, stronger , Col. 4, 16, 2: vitis vehemens multaque materia frondens, vigorous , id. 3, 1, 5: palus, thick , stout , id. 4, 12, 1: violentia vini, Lucr. 3, 482: vis frigorum aut calorum, Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 235; cf.: vis in oratione vehementissima, Quint. 9, 4, 13: vehementior lethargus, Plin. 20, 22, 87, § 238: dolor capitis, id. 24, 9, 38, § 62: usus strigilis, Suet. Aug. 80: argumentum vehementius, Quint. 7, 6, 7: conviva salibus vehemens intra pomoeria natis, Juv. 9, 11.