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Zealous vs. Jealous
Zealous and jealous share not just a rhyme, but an etymology. Both words ultimately come from the Latin zelus “jealousy,” and in the past their meanings were somewhat closer to each other than they are today. In the 16th and 17th centuries, zealous occasionally was used in biblical writing to refer to a quality of apprehensiveness or jealousy of another. By the 18th century, however, it had completely diverged in meaning from jealous, signifying “warmly engaged or ardent on behalf of someone or something.” Today, zealous often carries a connotation of excessive feeling: it typically means “fiercely partisan” or “uncompromisingly enthusiastic.”
Examples of zealous in a Sentence
Lynn Margulis, Curious Minds, (2004) 2005
Sir Thomas was zealous in the pursuit of recusants, not poachers, and was otherwise an amiable man.
—S. Schoenbaum, Shakespeare's Lives, 1991
Zealous in his ministerial labours, blameless in his life and habits, he yet did not appear to enjoy that mental serenity, that inward content, which should be the reward of every sincere Christian and practical philanthropist.
—Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
He had no cause for self-reproach on the score of neglect, or want of thought, for he had been devoted to her service; and yet a hundred little occasions rose up before him, on which he fancied he might have been more zealous, and more earnest, and wished he had been.
—Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, 1838
The detective was zealous in her pursuit of the kidnappers.
Alfred Soto,
Pitchfork,
24 June 2026
Dunk, Welly and Shirm are on the interplanetary run from a zealous-yet-inept officer of the law named Zandro.
—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
On and off the field, soccer, the world’s most popular sport, ignites zealous passions.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
Law firms have long sought to make use of close relationships at the Justice Department to assist their clients, which many lawyers consider zealous advocacy.
—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for zealous
Cite this Entry
“Zealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zealous. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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zealous
adjective
