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fanatic 1 of 2

noun

fə-ˈna-tik How to pronounce fanatic (audio)
Definition of fanaticnext
1
as in lover
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something football fanatics are pretty much booked up for weekends from Labor Day to Super Bowl Sunday

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in partisan
one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause once he joined the movement, he became a fanatic

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fanatic

2 of 2

adjective

fə-ˈna-ti-kəl How to pronounce fanatic (audio)
variants or fanatical
as in extreme
being very far from the center of public opinion because of her fanatical views, her friends know better than to try to discuss the issues with her

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fanatic
Noun
Balancing single broadcasts for both dedicated fanatics and casual lookie-loos remains a challenge, particularly for companies like Netflix that don’t have a whole season to work with. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2026 Well ahead of the game's launch, Wizards of the Coast is betting big on the IP, with tabletop adventures, novels, and a Secret Level short introducing RPG fanatics to its universe. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Loftis, played by Matthew Rhys, is a figure of quietly fanatical secularism and non-ghost-ism. — James Parker, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026 There is a fanatical element among those who want to ban horse carriages. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fanatic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanatic
  1. lover
  2. partisan
  3. extreme
  4. fan
  5. militant
  6. radical
  7. enthusiast
  8. crusader
Noun
  • The photographic record shows Wong arm-in-arm with numerous admirers, many of whom were her lovers.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Llínas mugs the camera for laugh lines in the narration, rattles off a comically long list of Borges’ lovers, reveals halfway through that the score has been played, in part, off a toy xylophone.
    — Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of lover
Noun
  • Harald paid tribute to the Norwegian partisans who had fought alongside the Soviets during World War II, helping to restore the memory of a segment of the population that had long been marginalized in the official narrative of the war.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This week’s Pollwatcher answers a reader’s question about how polls select respondents and highlights how partisans in one state have flipped on a Democratic senator.
    — Scott Clement, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of partisan
Adjective
  • With local cops, plagued by rumors of departmental misdeeds, looking for a peaceful solution and federal authorities contemplating extreme action, the situation escalates.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
  • But winter and spring brought extreme drought when the wheat needed moisture to establish itself.
    — Joshua A. Bickel, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of extreme
Noun
  • Jennifer Aniston is a fan of these classic sneakers, and so is our editor Ali Faccenda.
    — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Just days after multiple outlets reported that Lady Gaga and her fiancé, Michael Polansky, welcomed their first child together, fans now know the baby’s name.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of fan
Noun
  • The advances would give the militants a stronger position to disrupt oil flows through the strait, which connects the southern Red Sea to global markets.
    — Spencer Kimball,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in 2003, accused of developing and directing the 9/11 attacks, as a leader of the Islamic militant group al-Qaida.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of militant
Adjective
  • Niacinamide soothes and evens tone, while rice bran extract conditions skin and helps defend against free-radical damage.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Medical advances and especially vaccination — a radical concept, once — have nearly eliminated childhood diseases that killed up to half of children before age 5 when the nation was founded.
    — Jonathan Fahey, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of radical
Noun
  • Her work combined British tailoring and historical references with deliberately confrontational elements, enthusiasts say.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Outdoor enthusiasts should plan a side trip to nearby Mastodon State Historic Site.
    — Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of enthusiast
Noun
  • Sybylla’s bridge to her potential new future is most often her grandmother’s unlikely best friend, Augusta (Kate Mulvany), a wealthy crusader for women’s causes who decides to champion Sybylla’s literary ambitions.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Steinem became known not as a crusader for women but as a former bunny.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of crusader

Browse Nearby Words

fan
fanatic
fanatically
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Cite this Entry

“Fanatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanatic. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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