ZEALOT Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

zealot

noun

ˈze-lət

Definition of zealot

as in partisan

one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause zealots on both sides of the issue resorted to name-calling and scare tactics

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 zealot Traditional safety zealot Phil Koopman points out that the public would not accept a system that cuts fatalities by 80% but the remaining ones are all children. — Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Garrett says the new protocols acknowledge that academic institutions have the responsibility to take steps for the safety of their researchers and protect them from potentially dangerous interactions with conspiracy theorists and other reactionary zealots. — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 12 June 2026 March 13, 2026 For Gen Z neophytes and hardcore fans overseas (South Asian and Nigerian Mike zealots apparently have a lot to say on the matter), the idea of MJ/Prince ever being a rivalry is laughable. — Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026 The drama takes place in a dystopian future where the American government has been overthrown by evangelical religious zealots. — Tanya Melendez, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for zealot

Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealot

Noun

As a result, partisans of the political left and right routinely use allegations of plagiarism to vilify their ideological adversaries.

— Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
This is what happens when the federal government becomes the plaything of a petty partisan gone mad.

— Max Taves, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of partisan

Noun

Israel’s military said that Tuesday’s strike had targeted a meeting of four Hamas commanders and additional militants, including one who had participated in the 2023 attack.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Islamabad accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harboring militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan — a charge Kabul denies.

— ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of militant

Noun

Trump impeachment crusader scores upset in Oklahoma Senate race.

— , FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Andrew Sweetman, the Scottish marine biogeochemist who led the work, hadn’t made such claims, but he was still pilloried by fellow-scientists, and proponents of mining accused him of being an anti-mining crusader.

— James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of crusader

Noun

But the group had learned of the Phantom Orchestra, a group in Tbilisi, the capital of what is now Georgia, composed of musicians, poets and activists who had been barred from leaving the Soviet Union.

— Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Pro- and anti-trans activists held dueling rallies outside Fever games.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of activist

Noun

What we’re left with is the image of the fanatic, leaving prints on the grass, chasing the President’s golf cart to no avail, working out her psychic need in the epistolary form, writing as much to herself as to her addressee.

— Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Croissant lovers, cookie fanatics and cake devotees — this one’s for you.

— Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of fanatic

Browse Nearby Words

zeal

zealot

zealotry

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealot. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of zealot

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on zealot

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

kith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes