FANATICISM Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

fanaticism

noun

Definition of fanaticism

as in zeal

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

as in dogmatism

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 fanaticism But the beauty of the beautiful game is that millions of dollars and people don’t guarantee success, that there’s a difference between a soccer-playing nation and a soccer nation, that passion and culture and fanaticism matter. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026 Even after the glow of the Cup has faded, opportunities to plug into Scotland’s football fanaticism will continue. — Laura Dannen Redman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 May 2026 Global warming led to international tensions, and a mixture of religious fanaticism and failures in governance gave way to nuclear annihilation. — Ian Stokes, Space.com, 24 May 2026 Even OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, the current darlings of generative-AI fanaticism, will become subdued if their firms survive. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fanaticism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanaticism

Noun

Legendary computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton warned AI could wipe out humanity as a mere byproduct of its zeal to accomplish a more innocent task.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
Halas leaned into the new job with zeal, using his earlier barnstorming connections to both recruit and coach players, while organizing a makeshift league called the American Professional Football Association.

— Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of zeal

Noun

When authenticity becomes uncompromising, candor turns belligerent, consistency becomes rigid, or principled decision-making morphs into dogmatism, even the best intentions can backfire.

— Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
By staying so close to black metal’s core sound, Marchenko does more to undermine the dogmatism—both racial and aesthetic—of Vikernes and his ilk than a more obviously experimental project might.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026

Definition of dogmatism

Noun

In some cases, the obsession becomes so extreme that men may avoid eating foods prepared elsewhere or outside their strict standards.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
There was this strange obsession that Ghana had with Western culture and, in this case, American culture.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of obsession

Noun

The guiding principle is an 80/20 sourcing philosophy that means just 20% of the food is imported while 80% is from the archipelago.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
As a young student, Adnan left for Paris and later completed advanced studies in philosophy at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of philosophy

Noun

One is reminded of Toni Morrison, whose refusal to pander to the dominant gaze — whose insistence on writing about Black characters without regard for whoever else might be reading — unlocked its own kind of universality.

— Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Trump’s insistence on including certain details regarding Iran’s nuclear weapons program has emerged as a pressure point in negotiations, as have various ways to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and thus bring down global oil prices.

— Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of insistence

Noun

The Mayo Clinic defines the mental health condition as typically marked by hallucinations, delusions, depression, and mania.

— Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026
The 57-year-old star kept the animal print mania going with her pointed-toe fuzzy leopard print slingback heels and held a microscopic black patent leather bag in one hand.

— Lara Walsh, InStyle, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of mania

Noun

What if even the slightest error in doctrine or practice allowed the devil to mislead and damn well-meaning Christians?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
The term appeared within Christian doctrine somewhere around the seventeenth century in reference to the flood that followed the Fall.

— Artforum, Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of doctrine

Browse Nearby Words

fanatically

fanaticism

fanaticisms

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fanaticism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanaticism. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of fanaticism

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on fanaticism

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

regimen

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes