: eagerness and enthusiastic interest in pursuit of something : fervor
patriotic/religious zeal
his zeal for life
showed great zeal and enthusiasm in their work
The young musicians played with … exuberant zeal.—
Mark Swed
Mark Swed… they took office with an undisguised zeal to do everything differently …—The Boston Globe
The Boston GlobeIn their zeal to seem smart, students miss the opportunity to learn.—Stephen Friedman
Stephen FriedmanExamples of zeal in a Sentence
… he was uncomfortable with their lavish parties and their collector's zeal for the most expensive, most ostentatious brand names—Rolex and Prada and Farragamo.
—Anne Tyler, Digging to America, 2006
In 1248, channelling his piety into crusading zeal, Louis embarked on the Seventh Crusade, against the wishes of the Pope and against the judgement of his counsellors.
—Alistair Horne, Seven Ages of Paris, 2002
He showed his anatomical zeal by robbing a wayside gibbet, smuggling the bones back home and reconstructing the skeleton.
—Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, 1997
Anne Tyler, Digging to America, 2006
In 1248, channelling his piety into crusading zeal, Louis embarked on the Seventh Crusade, against the wishes of the Pope and against the judgement of his counsellors.
—Alistair Horne, Seven Ages of Paris, 2002
He showed his anatomical zeal by robbing a wayside gibbet, smuggling the bones back home and reconstructing the skeleton.
—Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, 1997
Recent Examples on the Web
Others can better explain his remarkable journey to make America better for the disenfranchised, and his zeal to help create a true rainbow of inclusion.
—Rick Davis, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Thankfully, Part 2 rectifies the issue by bringing forth the yearning, longing and desire between them that were sorely missing, and the couple’s relationship finally gets the lusty zeal fans have been waiting for.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
Florida lawmakers, in their zeal to boost affordable housing to accommodate the state’s surging population, have come up with a one-size-fits-all approach that will have dire consequences for crowded urban areas like Fort Lauderdale, critics say.
—Susannah Bryan, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
After making a fortune in software and parlaying that into telecoms and a raft of tech ventures, Son is now pivoting SoftBank’s $180 billion war chest into artificial intelligence (AI) with unbridled zeal.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zeal
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Rick Davis, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Thankfully, Part 2 rectifies the issue by bringing forth the yearning, longing and desire between them that were sorely missing, and the couple’s relationship finally gets the lusty zeal fans have been waiting for.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
Florida lawmakers, in their zeal to boost affordable housing to accommodate the state’s surging population, have come up with a one-size-fits-all approach that will have dire consequences for crowded urban areas like Fort Lauderdale, critics say.
—Susannah Bryan, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
After making a fortune in software and parlaying that into telecoms and a raft of tech ventures, Son is now pivoting SoftBank’s $180 billion war chest into artificial intelligence (AI) with unbridled zeal.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zeal
Cite this Entry
“Zeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeal. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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zeal
noun
: eager desire in going for a goal
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