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 )
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.
As a travel enthusiast who regularly flies across the globe, Tracy Lamourie is used to contending with airline pricing strategies, particularly for economy fares that often appear affordable — until you factor in the extras.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
Fellow car enthusiast Evan Sawyer said Baron admired the beauty of the canyon roads and found peace in driving calmly along them.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
A railway enthusiast at the station told AFP he was taking the train only one stop and would disembark at Tianjin.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
"I've always been into building things," says Battle, whose grandfather helped to construct the Withernsea Lighthouse Museum in Yorkshire, and whose dad was a DIY car enthusiast.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
A speed enthusiast knows that everything he says or does is brilliant.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
