enthusiasm
Americannoun
-
absorbing or controlling possession of the mind by any interest or pursuit; lively interest.
He shows marked enthusiasm for his studies.
- Antonyms:
- indifference
-
an occupation, activity, or pursuit in which such interest is shown.
Hunting is his latest enthusiasm.
-
any of various forms of extreme religious devotion, usually associated with intense emotionalism and a break with orthodoxy.
noun
-
ardent and lively interest or eagerness
-
an object of keen interest; passion
-
archaic extravagant or unbalanced religious fervour
-
obsolete possession or inspiration by a god
Other Word Forms
- antienthusiasm noun
- hyperenthusiasm noun
- overenthusiasm noun
- preenthusiasm noun
- unenthusiasm noun
Etymology
Origin of enthusiasm
First recorded in 1570–80; from Late Latin enthūsiasmus, from Greek enthousiasmós, from enthousí(a) “possession by a god” ( énthous, variant of éntheos “having a god within,” from en- en- 2 + -thous, -theos “possessed by a god” + -ia -y 3 ( def. ) ) + -asmos, variant (after vowel stems) of -ismos -ism; theism ( def. )
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.
"He made me feel a million dollars. His enthusiasm and positivity was contagious."
From BBC
Beijing has also made technological self-sufficiency a top priority for its next five-year plan, and investor enthusiasm for all things AI remains high in China.
Business investment in AI is fueling a big chunk of the nation’s economic growth, and investor enthusiasm over AI companies has sparked a run-up in the stock market.
Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” bowed on the streamer, but the intense enthusiasm that followed persuaded the company to give it a theatrical release over a late summer weekend.
From Salon
The anticipation of unwrapping a present heightens the excitement, which might account for enthusiasm about the delayed November consumer-price index reading on Thursday.
From Barron's
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.
