zeal

noun

\ ˈzēl

Definition of zeal

: eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something : fervor her zeal to succeed strained her relationships

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Choose the Right Synonym for zeal

passion, fervor, ardor, enthusiasm, zeal mean intense emotion compelling action. passion applies to an emotion that is deeply stirring or ungovernable. was a slave to his passions fervor implies a warm and steady emotion. read the poem aloud with great fervor ardor suggests warm and excited feeling likely to be fitful or short-lived. the ardor of their honeymoon soon faded enthusiasm applies to lively or eager interest in or admiration for a proposal, cause, or activity. never showed much enthusiasm for sports zeal implies energetic and unflagging pursuit of an aim or devotion to a cause. preaches with fanatical zeal

Examples 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

Recent Examples on the Web

Matt Levine is similarly disturbed by Marcus’ zeal. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Facebook is pushing out its most creative skeptics," 28 Sep. 2018 Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker has been compared to Kobe Bryant for his competitive zeal. — Rick Bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Is Charlotte Hornets’ star Kemba Walker willing to ride out another rebuild? | Charlotte Observer," 9 Mar. 2018 Losing a skirmish in Alabama is unlikely to temper his zeal. — Alexander Nazaryan, Newsweek, "Steve Bannon’s Plan To Make America Great Again—With or Without Trump," 28 Dec. 2017 Alex Rodriguez New relationship goal: Get you a guy who films your crowning achievements with the zeal of a dad at a peewee soccer game, like A-Rod did while beholding J.Lo at the VMAs. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "To All the Boys (and Grown Men) We’ve Loved This Summer," 31 Aug. 2018 With a safari hunter’s zeal, Righeimer essentially killed the project by attempting to require from the applicant a refundable deposit of $625,000 to the city for an undefined parking structure to secure his vote. — Jeffrey Harlan, latimes.com, "Costa Mesa City Council majority got it wrong by denying Plant project," 10 July 2018 The rest of the world’s zeal to oust Assad has faded, with a grudging acceptance of the Russian-authored status quo taking hold in Western capitals. — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, "Russia stays in the driver’s seat in Syria," 10 July 2018 Eric Zivian was a dynamic fortepiano soloist, channeling the composer’s improvisatory zeal, and the various vocal contributions were perfectly swell. — Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Cherubini goes head-to-head with Beethoven in superb Philharmonia program," 26 Apr. 2018 That zeal for justice will continue to permeate her artistic work; her videos in particular create worlds of both oppression and rebellion. — Sean Knight, Glamour, "Janelle Monáe Knows She Has Your Attention. Get Ready for What's Next.," 5 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'zeal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for zeal

The first known use of zeal was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for zeal

zeal

noun

English Language Learners Definition of zeal

: a strong feeling of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined to do something

See the full definition for zeal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

zeal

noun

\ ˈzēl

Kids Definition of zeal

: eager desire to get something done or see something succeed Feeling better, she attacked her homework with renewed zeal.— Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy