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Zealous vs. Jealous
Zealous and jealous share not just a rhyme, but an etymology. Both words ultimately come from the Latin zelus “jealousy,” and in the past their meanings were somewhat closer to each other than they are today. In the 16th and 17th centuries, zealous occasionally was used in biblical writing to refer to a quality of apprehensiveness or jealousy of another. By the 18th century, however, it had completely diverged in meaning from jealous, signifying “warmly engaged or ardent on behalf of someone or something.” Today, zealous often carries a connotation of excessive feeling: it typically means “fiercely partisan” or “uncompromisingly enthusiastic.”
Examples of zealous in a Sentence
Lynn Margulis, Curious Minds, (2004) 2005
Sir Thomas was zealous in the pursuit of recusants, not poachers, and was otherwise an amiable man.
—S. Schoenbaum, Shakespeare's Lives, 1991
Zealous in his ministerial labours, blameless in his life and habits, he yet did not appear to enjoy that mental serenity, that inward content, which should be the reward of every sincere Christian and practical philanthropist.
—Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
He had no cause for self-reproach on the score of neglect, or want of thought, for he had been devoted to her service; and yet a hundred little occasions rose up before him, on which he fancied he might have been more zealous, and more earnest, and wished he had been.
—Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, 1838
The detective was zealous in her pursuit of the kidnappers.
Griselda Flores, Billboard, 14 Aug. 2025
The pair sought to build and harness a population of people passionate about health and nourishment and zealous about respecting and caring for the land.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 13 July 2025
In a zealous desire to have the best lawn in the neighborhood, many fall into some common misconceptions about watering.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 20 July 2025
Fans' emphatic celebration of Combs' verdict mirrors similar behavior throughout the high-profile trial, which ignited a ferocious media circus among journalists, social media influencers and zealous supporters of Combs.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for zealous
Cite this Entry
“Zealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zealous. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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zealous
adjective
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