as in fervent
feeling or showing strong and energetic support for a person, cause, etc.; filled with zeal
zealous fans She was one of the president's most zealous supporters. The detective was zealous in her pursuit of the kidnappers.
Related Words
Relevance
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 zealous
Fans became zealous cultural foot soldiers, streaming, voting and building global communities on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
—
Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Since his first hearing, Higgins’ lawyers have filed a string of motions to dismiss charges and bar evidence against their client from trial as part of a zealous defense.
—Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Since the library’s books all date from before 1755, a major job here is preservation, and the zealous doorkeeper opens the big front door sparingly to keep out humidity.
—Rick Steves, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
The Washington Post has a long history of zealous support for robust press freedoms.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zealous
Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Since his first hearing, Higgins’ lawyers have filed a string of motions to dismiss charges and bar evidence against their client from trial as part of a zealous defense.
—Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Since the library’s books all date from before 1755, a major job here is preservation, and the zealous doorkeeper opens the big front door sparingly to keep out humidity.
—Rick Steves, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
The Washington Post has a long history of zealous support for robust press freedoms.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zealous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealous
Adjective
-
Passionate flamenco, a fervent soccer culture, and a 24,000-seat bullring are woven into Madrid’s rich cultural tapestry.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
5 May 2026
-
The race to build data centers and deploy more complex AI systems that can complete tasks with limited oversight, known as agentic AI, has ignited fervent demand for central processing units, or CPUs.—
Alexa LoMonaco,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The crowd was enthusiastic and somewhat glassy-eyed, and people lined up patiently to buy records and merchandise, and to get a chance to meet Rashad.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Firebird Tours has also been an enthusiastic adopter of new technology and created a custom trip builder and travel app.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
San Diego County has been among the state’s most ardent MCRT supporters.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
-
But everyone — from the most ardent fan all the way up to the owner who signs the checks — had to endure it.—
Barry Svrluga,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Set in Los Angeles, the film follows AJ, a shy teenager who loves skateboarding and drawing, and Kristen, a passionate surfer.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
Much of the film is set in and around a Parisian elder-care facility, and Hamaguchi guides us through its rooms and hallways, its meetings and rituals, with a patience and passionate granularity worthy of the late documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealous. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
