noun
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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
- 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.
In sixth grade, I discovered the subculture of living history, which is built around enthusiasts who research, reconstruct and reenact past eras.
It is not clear why the former prince - a known hunting enthusiast - gave up his licence, but the decision means he can only use or transport his guns if supervised.
From BBC
For some Snoopy enthusiasts, the high volume of Snoopy products borders on oversaturation, threatening to cheapen the spirit of the character.
From Los Angeles Times
The pandemic was great for introverts, sourdough bread enthusiasts, and retail stocks.
From Barron's
Vinyl enthusiasts rushed to buy original Zamrock records, which only exist in small numbers, and their value naturally spiked.
From BBC
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.
