noun
-
a person filled with or motivated by enthusiasm; fanatic
-
archaic a religious visionary, esp one whose zeal for religion is extravagant or unbalanced
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of enthusiast
First recorded in 1600–10; from Greek enthousiastḗs “inspired person, possessed person,” from enthousí(a) “possession by a god” ( see enthusiasm) + -astēs -ast ( def. ) (variant of -istēs -ist after i )
Explanation
When you're an enthusiast, you're all jazzed up about a person or cause. A sports enthusiast is someone who is really passionate and excited about sports. Enthusiast comes from the Greek enthousiastēs, meaning "person inspired by a god." While it doesn't retain those same religious connotations today, an enthusiast is someone who is inspired by a cause or person. A candidate running for office will have a group of enthusiasts working doggedly on his campaign. Often your mother is your biggest enthusiast or supporter. Non-profit organizations are always looking for enthusiasts who can make donations and become patrons of their organization.
Vocabulary lists containing enthusiast
This Week In Culture: November 9–15, 2019
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Mexikid
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
Hiking enthusiast Brian Seibert summited the more than 13,000-foot face of Mount Morgan’s north ridge Sunday, offering him a sweeping panorama view of the jagged peaks and crystalline lakes of the Eastern Sierra.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Planning agents representing the bird enthusiast said he wanted to create a "major tourism venture", and that his former business in the grounds of Picton Castle ended because the lease was not renewed.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“I am such an enthusiast for rail and I really want this to be successful and just hearing these things makes it seem like we’re proceeding on a wing and a prayer.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Salisbury was colorful: A mixed martial arts enthusiast, he once appeared at the agency’s headquarters with his face bruised and eye blackened from a recent bout.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
She grew up on her mother’s fried pork chops, spare ribs, and meatballs—all cooked with lard—and had become a pizza, hamburger, and french fry enthusiast in the United States.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Sports enthusiasts have their own dedicated amenity in the form of a clay tennis court, which is accompanied by an entertainment pavilion.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
More than 2.5 million votes were cast by 478,531 people, ranging from wildlife enthusiasts to primary school classes.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
To eliminate the Sisyphean task of formalizing all relevant mathematics from scratch every time, the Lean enthusiasts decided to create Mathlib—a library of formalized mathematics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
One of the study's biggest surprises involved a large stick insect that had long been familiar to both scientists and insect enthusiasts.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
The science enthusiasts quickly gathered round, trying to get a peek at the heavy-looking metal box he was holding—his notorious decibel counter.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
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.
