fanatic

1 of 2

noun

fa·​nat·​ic fə-ˈna-tik How to pronounce fanatic (audio)
plural fanatics
1
disapproving : a person exhibiting excessive enthusiasm and intense uncritical devotion toward some controversial matter (as in religion or politics)
a religious fanatic [=extremist]
The fanatics are convinced they are serving a righteous cause and that all means are justified …Flora Lewis
2
: a person who is extremely enthusiastic about and devoted to some interest or activity
a boating/sports/racing fanatic
She's a real fanatic when it comes to working out.
Since the U.S. economy began to sputter in 2008, shoppers have become coupon fanatics and lovers of buy-one-get-one-free deals …Janet K. Keeler

fanatic

2 of 2

adjective

variants or fanatical
: marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion
they're fanatic about politics
a fanatic attention to details
fanatically adverb
fanaticalness noun

Did you know?

The Fanatical Origin of Fan

There are a good number of etymological myths in the English language, stories about the origins of words (such as the widespread notion that posh originated as an acronym for “port out, starboard home”) which are, to put it kindly, inaccurate. But this does not mean that every vivid account of linguistic origin is fictitious. Many words, such as fan, do have colorful backstories.

Fan is generally–and very likely correctly–believed to be a shortened form of fanatic. The origin of fanatic (which can be traced back to the Latin word fanum, meaning “sanctuary, temple”) is less often commented on. In English, fan made an early appearance in the late 17th century only to disappear for two centuries, resurfacing in the late 19th century. In this later period of use, it often referred to the devoted observers of, or participants in, a sport. An 1885 article from The Kansas City Times, for example, contains the line “The base ball ‘fans’ of the ploice [sic] force and fire department engage in a ball game.”

Did you know?

The Latin adjective fanaticus, a derivative of the noun fanum, meaning “temple,” originally meant “of or relating to a temple.” It was later used to refer to pious individuals who were thought to have been inspired by a god or goddess. In time, the sense “frantic, frenzied, mad” arose because it was thought that persons behaving in such a manner were possessed by a deity. This was the first meaning of the English word fanatic. This sense is now obsolete, but it led to the meaning “excessively enthusiastic, especially about religious matters.” The word later became less specific, meaning simply “excessively enthusiastic or unreasonable.” The noun fan, meaning “enthusiast,” is probably a shortening of fanatic.

Examples of fanatic in a Sentence

Noun football fanatics are pretty much booked up for weekends from Labor Day to Super Bowl Sunday once he joined the movement, he became a fanatic Adjective because of her fanatical views, her friends know better than to try to discuss the issues with her
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
The two hair fanatics led a riveting conversation about the benefits of science-forward hair routines such as acidic and pH-balanced care. Akili King, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024 The premier full-service merchandise and brand management agency connects artists with their superfans on a deeper level and transforming fans into fanatics with their fan ecosystems. Andrea Zarczynski, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Sports fanatic and former athlete Jillian Hiscock was not having it any longer. Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024 But everyone out in Oklahoma City — from the Uber driver to the folks at the hotel — everyone is a bit of a storm fanatic. Jordan Hoffman, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for fanatic 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin fanaticus inspired by a deity, frenzied, from fanum temple — more at feast

First Known Use

Noun

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fanatic was in 1550

Dictionary Entries Near fanatic

Cite this Entry

“Fanatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fanatic. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fanatic

adjective
fa·​nat·​ic fə-ˈnat-ik How to pronounce fanatic (audio)
variants or fanatical
: overly enthusiastic or devoted
fanatic noun
fanatically adverb
fanaticism
-ˈnat-ə-ˌsiz-əm
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fanatic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!