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
- antienthusiast noun
Etymology
Origin of enthusiast
First recorded in 1600–10; from Greek enthousiastḗs “inspired person, possessed person,” from enthousí(a) “possession by a god” ( enthusiasm ) + -astēs -ast ( def. ) (variant of -istēs -ist after i )
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.
Auction enthusiast Sarah had bid her way to a big collection of ornaments and trinkets which filled her three-bedroom house in Shetland.
From BBC
Kennedy was an enthusiast and, in his presidency, both First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower worked together to support the cultural center.
From Los Angeles Times
The result is that I grew up something of an at-home birthday party enthusiast.
From Salon
By the time the couple split in 2021, he had become a gun enthusiast with about 25 rifles, pistols and shotguns, Angelica Ochoa said.
From Salon
The Eagle Rock-based nonprofit announced its closure on Thursday, encouraging movie enthusiasts on Friday to “keep your hearts open and your wallets closed” in solidarity with national demonstrations.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
