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 of enthusiast

• 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

Come fall, particularly October, the woodlands draw fall-color enthusiasts with vivid maples, birches, and beeches. — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026

Fat Bear Week is a single-elimination tournament, where bear enthusiasts from around the world can vote online for their favorite chunky bear. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026

The current business strategy now reflects Tsagris’s perspective as a watch enthusiast, unconstrained by a founder’s attachment to the company’s original model. — K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Paramount backer Larry Ellison, whose son, David, is the company’s CEO, is a sailing enthusiast and funder of SailGP. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026

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

• chloroplast
• epiblast
• fibroblast
• opencast
• overcast
• protoplast
• rebroadcast
• telecast
• trophoblast
• ultrafast
• unsurpassed
• aghast

Kids Definition

enthusiast

noun

en·​thu·​si·​ast in-ˈth(y)ü-zē-ˌast 

-əst

: a person filled with enthusiasm