noun
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a person filled with or motivated by enthusiasm; fanatic
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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
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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:
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
There is even the European Horse Network, whose meetings with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen -- a well-known equine enthusiast -- were criticised by Corporate Europe Observatory for violating the commission's code of conduct.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
But another young Reform enthusiast rejected that, telling me: "It's all documented and there on camera – Nigel has to be more careful about what party members say."
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 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
A speed enthusiast knows that everything he says or does is brilliant.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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
Local communities are at the heart of the week, with community halls, crofts and businesses, makers and musicians all helping to create the unique experience for the wool enthusiasts.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 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
"Since X2 opened in 2008, it has welcomed more than 16 million guests and earned a passionate following among ride enthusiasts," he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
“Some of the cosmic ray enthusiasts are very likely to urge that nature has furnished us with particles of extremely high energies,” he observed.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
