zealot

noun

ˈze-lət How to pronounce zealot (audio)
Definition of zealotnext
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

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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 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 Bo-Katan explains the Mandalorians who raised Din and taught him to never show his face are religious zealots known as the Children of the Watch, who broke from Mandalorian society. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for zealot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealot
  1. partisan
  2. militant
  3. crusader
  4. activist
  5. fanatic
Noun
  • Exhibited for the first time outside of Sarajevo, the churning Socialist Realist homage invokes Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People in figuring partisans heroically overcoming their would-be Nazi aggressors.
    — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 10 July 2026
  • Reynolds tracks the willingness of northern partisans—Carl Schurz, Horace Greeley, Lyman Trumbull, and even Sumner himself—to abandon that cause by the dwindling references to Jamestown and Plymouth.
    — James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Definition of partisan
Noun
  • Some of the jihadi militants in Nigeria have presented themselves as an alternative to the government in areas with limited government and security presence.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Very few civil rights leaders, whether nonviolent or militant, moved to the island for good.
    — Aaron Coy Moulton, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of militant
Noun
  • 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
  • But his wildly unfiltered speech grabs the attention of beautiful and brash public defender Ginger (Gilpin), herself a crusader for truth.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of crusader
Noun
  • Pacific Legal argued this was part of the problem — a private group of unelected activists had repeatedly forced others to expend resources defending themselves.
    — Michael Phillis, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • An economy that stretches to Haiti For Jean-Marie Denis, the Haitian writer and Little Haiti cultural activist better known by his pen name, Jan Mapou, the withdrawal of Haitians from public life evokes something from Haiti’s past.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of activist
Noun
  • The $300 price tag won’t scare off the most intense Star Wars fanatics.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Jerseys have swarmed the fashion capitols, and not just for sports fanatics.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026
Definition of fanatic

Browse Nearby Words

zeal
zealot
zealotry
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Cite this Entry

“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealot. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on zealot

Nglish: Translation of zealot for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about zealot

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