zealous

adjective

zeal·​ous ˈze-ləs 

: marked by fervent partisanship for a person, a cause, or an ideal : filled with or characterized by zeal

zealous missionaries

zealously adverb

zealousness noun

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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

I was zealous in my demands on my sisters for promptness in rehearsals. I was passionate, intolerant of small talk, hungry for knowledge, grabby, bossy, precocious. —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.

Recent Examples on the Web

On these songs Beyoncé, a zealous student of craft, bends genre to her will, flaunting her deep appreciation of country, hip-hop and dance to create the funkiest chapter on Cowboy Carter. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024

Yet neither of these detours into zaniness or zealous handwringing can dampen the one thing that lies at the heart of Sharrock & Co.’s movie: a palpable sense of anger. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

zealous

adjective

zeal·​ous ˈzel-əs 

: filled with or showing zeal : marked by passionate support for a person, cause, or ideal

zealously adverb

zealousness noun