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.
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Recent Examples of zealous
Admittedly, conversations might be a bit zealous, but that is the tenor of the day.
—
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
Quintus’ frighteningly zealous take is that the nukes being dropped were God’s way of saving Maxon from reprisal.
—Jack King, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
At a moment when ambitious podcasts are hard to come by, the zealous fluidity of Fear No Man stands out.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Combining zealous courtroom advocacy with a deft media touch, Jackson has a reputation for seeking big wins for his clients when other defense lawyers might try to cut a deal.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zealous
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
Quintus’ frighteningly zealous take is that the nukes being dropped were God’s way of saving Maxon from reprisal.
—Jack King, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
At a moment when ambitious podcasts are hard to come by, the zealous fluidity of Fear No Man stands out.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Combining zealous courtroom advocacy with a deft media touch, Jackson has a reputation for seeking big wins for his clients when other defense lawyers might try to cut a deal.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zealous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealous
Adjective
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This brilliant, vibrant woman was a singular candidate, who could turn out her fervent base for a win.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Kurdish towns were among the most fervent sites of protests in 2022 following the death in custody of a Kurdish-Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini.—
John Calabrese,
The Conversation,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The first screening was at Sundance, and there was a very enthusiastic reception.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
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But analysis about its debut was less enthusiastic.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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An ardent supporter of military action against Iran, Graham criticized Israel in a social media post on Sunday regarding the strikes on the oil facilities.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
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That view has its ardent critics.—
Jonathan M. Pitts,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Companies like Acorn, which specializes in British TV, and Crunchyroll, devoted to anime, had built real businesses on niches with passionate fans.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Was there one among you all that was kind of most passionate about getting this record done?—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealous. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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