zealot
noun
a person who shows zeal.
zealot
American
[zel-uht]
/ ˈzɛl ət /
noun
-
zealots
plural
-
a person who shows zeal.
-
an excessively zealous person; fanatic.
-
(initial capital letter) a member of a radical, warlike, ardently patriotic group of Jews in Judea, particularly prominent from a.d. 69 to 81, advocating the violent overthrow of Roman rule and vigorously resisting the efforts of the Romans and their supporters to heathenize the Jews.
Zealot
1
British
/ ˈzɛlət /
noun
zealot
2
British
/ ˈzɛlət /
noun
Synonym Usage
See fanatic.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of zealot
First recorded in 1400–50; earlier zelote from Late Latin zēlōtēs, from Greek zēlṓtēs, equivalent to zēlō- (variant stem of zēloûn “to be zealous”; see zeal) + -tēs agent suffix
Explanation
The hamburger zealot was so fanatical about his burgers that he camped outside his favorite fast-food joint for hours every morning, waiting for it to open. And he would never put mustard on them, only ketchup. The original zealots were a group of first-century Jews who were absolutely determined to overthrow Roman rule in Palestine. Today, anyone who goes overboard in their zeal, or enthusiasm, for a particular cause, a religion, a sports team, or a charitable organization — can be called a zealot. The coffee lover was a zealot regarding where his coffee was grown, who grew it, and how it was roasted.
Vocabulary lists containing zealot
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Grade 10, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He was a zealot, he assured the assembled, a zealot who had even passed legislation!
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2024
If you were trying to turn a lay fan into a Caitlin Clark zealot, I don’t know that Saturday’s game would have been the first one you showed them.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 23, 2024
“Liz is not a natural born leader; she is more of a zealot than a showman,” Mr. Evans wrote to Judge Davila.
From New York Times ● May 7, 2023
Mr. Rowe long plotted his escape even as he portrayed himself to peers as a zealot of Kim’s rule.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 6, 2023
Ishmael’s grandfather had been a Highland Presbyterian, his grandmother an Irish zealot from the bogs above Lough Ree; they met in Seattle five years before the Great Fire, wed, and raised six sons.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Without taking sides, it tells the story of the civil war largely through the eyes of a young Zealot motivated less by religious fanaticism than by disgust over social injustice and corruption.
From New York Times ● Sep. 11, 2021
He calls himself the Turfgrass Zealot and has a stock speech about his successes.
From Golf Digest ● Sep. 25, 2019
He’s written three books on religion: No god but God, which is about Islam; Beyond Fundamentalism, which is about religious extremism; and Zealot, which is about Jesus of Nazareth.
From Slate ● May 4, 2017
In the TV movie "Masada," when the Romans are near destroying the previously thought impenetrable wall protecting the Jews, one Zealot wishes aloud for more time to make it stronger.
From US News ● Nov. 19, 2015
For example, the Bible gives only the fact that one of the disciples was a Zealot; in this book the disciple is shown speaking and acting as we know Zealots spoke and acted.
From Men Called Him Master by Elwyn A. (Elwyn Allen) Smith
The explanation is hard to untangle for those who aren’t true numerology zealots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
The U.S. built the post-war world around rules—not because we are zealots about law, but because rules have helped us.
From Barron's ● Jan. 5, 2026
Instead of more threats from zealots and incendiary statements from members of the Desmond family, it needs some healing, some understanding and some class.
From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025
After making his way through a Romanian town filled with zealots warning Thomas of Orlok’s corruption, he finds himself alone, deep in the snowy woods.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2024
All men of talent, whether they be men of feeling or not; whether they be zealots, or aspirants, or despots—provided only they be sincere—have their sublime moments, when they subdue and rule.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
