enthuse
Americanverb (used without object)
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enthuses,
present (3rd person singular)
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enthused,
past participle, past
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enthusing
present participle
verb (used with object)
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enthuses,
present (3rd person singular)
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enthused,
past participle, past
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enthusing
present participle
verb
Usage
The verb enthuse is a 19th-century back formation from the noun enthusiasm. Originally an Americanism, enthuse is now standard and well established in the speech and all but the most formal writing of educated persons, in both Britain and the United States. It is used as a transitive verb meaning “to cause to become enthusiastic” ( The liveliness of the dance enthused the audience ) and as an intransitive verb meaning “to show enthusiasm” ( She enthused warmly over his performance ). Despite its long history and frequent occurrence, however, enthuse is still strongly disapproved of by many.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enthusesimple
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enthusessimple
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have enthusedperfect
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has enthusedperfect
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am enthusingprogressive
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are enthusingprogressive
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is enthusingprogressive
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have been enthusingperfect progressive
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has been enthusingperfect progressive
Past
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enthusedsimple
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had enthusedperfect
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was enthusingprogressive
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were enthusingprogressive
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had been enthusingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enthuse
1820–30, back formation from enthusiasm
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:
The chip maker’s record first-quarter sales weren’t enough to enthuse investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
While some tech enthusiasts enthuse about AI’s potential benefits, others fear job losses and safety issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2024
Another promising attacking display from the bench by Williams, who has scored three times so far this term, should further enthuse Marc Skinner when he considers the depth of his side's talent.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2023
In doing so, he was trying to seize back that narrative in the way he has always done best: before a crowd hand-picked to enthuse without hesitation and boo right on cue.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 2023
Meanwhile, those same gossipers will have found yet some other newcomer about whom to enthuse.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
“It was totally an improvised thing,” Jensen enthuses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025
Waters still enthuses about pickleball like those neighbors who can’t stop talking about their Saturday group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
But the result, she enthuses, will be something genuine and human.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2025
“We don’t think any festival has focused on live sports yet, and it’s a huge part of television,” McIntyre enthuses about the Dodgers panel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2025
The Frenchman talks about optical illusions, electromagnetism; there’s a pause and a peal of static, as though a record is being flipped, and then he enthuses about coal.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Labour figures are enthused that they now have a leader with what they see as a clear sense of purpose that can be easily articulated.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
The authors enthused that the partnership "showcased how innovative approaches, even involving unconventional collaborators, can revolutionize oceanographic research."
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Some may be hoping Berkshire is getting more enthused about the opportunities it is finding after a stretch of holding back.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
“Last fall, the market was enthused by CNR’s reset on targets, messaging and capex, and today’s beat and raise is the first real sign of the new plan in action,” Shanker adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Now, we should celebrate,” enthused Artemis, deftly changing the subject.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
I toured her house, and she was so happy with it, enthusing over its details.
From Slate ● Jan. 18, 2025
By acknowledging what lands onstage, even enthusing about it, Drake takes control of the narrative.
From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2023
“Nobody was working so we could isolate a little group together and film ‘The Whale,’ which happens in just one apartment and could be shot in five weeks,” Morot recalls the filmmaker enthusing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2023
Late in the film, when a neighbor stops by Lydia’s studio to complain about the noise she’s making, she initially misunderstands, flashing a camera-ready smile and enthusing with fake modesty, “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
From Washington Post ● Oct. 12, 2022
I had never been inside it, but its picturesqueness appeals to me every time I pass it, and you may often see visitors leaning over the low wall of the garden and enthusing about it.
From Windyridge by W. Riley
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.
