enthusiast

noun

en·​thu·​si·​ast in-ˈthü-zē-ˌast 

-əst,

en-,

 also  -ˈthyü-

: a person filled with enthusiasm: such as

a

: one who is ardently attached to a cause, object, or pursuit

a sports car enthusiast

b

: one who tends to become ardently absorbed in an interest

Synonyms

• lover
• fan
• sucker
• fanatic

Examples of enthusiast in a Sentence

skiing enthusiasts can't wait for the first snowfall of the season

Recent Examples on the Web

Drivers are advised to slow down, use caution, and carry winter emergency kits, while outdoor enthusiasts are being warned to prepare for rapidly changing and potentially dangerous weather conditions. —Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

What began as a simple tile project has evolved into a full-time career as a DIY enthusiast. —Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025

The program was created by an aviation enthusiast with the call-sign Goronych and converts single-seater planes into rudimentary but effective long-range missiles. —Tim Lister, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025

Outdoor enthusiasts love cycling the nearby, 240-mile-long Katy Trail. —Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "person claiming to receive divine communication or inspiration, member of a putative early Christian sect making such claims," borrowed from Late Greek enthousiastḗs, going back to Greek, "person possessed by a god," from enthousiad-, stem of enthousiázein "to be inspired or possessed by a god" + -tēs, agent suffix — more at enthusiasm

First Known Use

1748, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for enthusiast

• iconoclast
• osteoblast
• osteoclast
• aghast
• amassed
• biassed
• broadcast
• bypassed
• downcast
• forecast
• foremast
• harassed

Kids Definition

enthusiast

noun

en·​thu·​si·​ast in-ˈth(y)ü-zē-ˌast 

-əst

: a person filled with enthusiasm