Synonyms of zeal

zeal

noun

as in vigor

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

She attacked her homework with renewed zeal after getting her first A.

a politician known for his zeal for reform

Related Words

• vigor
• passion
• enthusiasm
• fervor
• ardor
• élan
• energy
• fire
• vitality
• gusto
• dynamism
• verve
• eagerness
• drive
• dash
• exuberance
• hardihood
• pep
• brio
• zest
• vim
• starch
• vinegar
• esprit
• ginger
• life
• juice
• oomph
• bounce
• zing
• get-up-and-go
• gas
• relish
• avidity
• zip
• punch
• beans
• sap
• keenness
• go
• vivacity
• moxie
• spirit
• liveliness
• spiritedness
• spunk
• vibrancy
• briskness
• sprightliness
• animation
• snap
• animal spirits
• vivaciousness
• jauntiness
• vibrance
• spunkiness
• snappiness

Dissimilar Words

• indifference
• apathy
• disinterestedness
• indolence
• lukewarmness
• laziness
• lethargy
• halfheartedness
• perfunctoriness
• sluggishness
• listlessness
• torpidity

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun zeal differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of zeal are ardor, enthusiasm, fervor, and passion. While all these words mean "intense emotion compelling action," zeal implies energetic and unflagging pursuit of an aim or devotion to a cause.

preaches with fanatical zeal

When is ardor a more appropriate choice than zeal?

While in some cases nearly identical to zeal, ardor suggests warm and excited feeling likely to be fitful or short-lived.

the ardor of their honeymoon soon faded

Where would enthusiasm be a reasonable alternative to zeal?

The words enthusiasm and zeal can be used in similar contexts, but enthusiasm applies to lively or eager interest in or admiration for a proposal, cause, or activity.

never showed much enthusiasm for sports

When could fervor be used to replace zeal?

While the synonyms fervor and zeal are close in meaning, fervor implies a warm and steady emotion.

read the poem aloud with great fervor

When can passion be used instead of zeal?

The synonyms passion and zeal are sometimes interchangeable, but passion applies to an emotion that is deeply stirring or ungovernable.

was a slave to his passions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of zeal

Rawlings’s tutorial zeal seemed to derive equally from the existential stakes of the race and the candidate’s evident need of guidance. —Tad Friend, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026

Polen talks about lean manufacturing with the same zeal that other CEOs talk about AI. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026

Sámi filmmaker Elisabeth Rasmussen follows the impressive results of his research, which costs peanuts compared to the enormous budget poured into comparable space missions, with equal zeal and enthusiasm. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026

Not that Leiter has a bad situation around Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom, but more exposure to more aces can certainly help a player who has the kind of zeal for learning that Leiter has. —Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026