enthusiastic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- antienthusiastic adjective
- enthusiastically adverb
- hyperenthusiastic adjective
- nonenthusiastic adjective
- overenthusiastic adjective
- pseudoenthusiastic adjective
- quasi-enthusiastic adjective
- unenthusiastic adjective
Etymology
Origin of enthusiastic
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Greek enthousiastikós; enthusiast ( def. ), -ic ( def. )
Explanation
Enthusiastic appreciation for something is more than just liking it — it's loving it. You're an enthusiastic fan of Italian food if you not only like it, you can't live without it. Enthusiastic's Greek origins paint a vivid picture of how an enthusiastic person got that way, as the word literally means "possessed by a god." You may recognize the "god" part of the word — theos, as in theology — "the study of God." If you're enthusiastic about working on your vocabulary words, you don't have to be reminded to do it — you can't wait.
Vocabulary lists containing enthusiastic
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Words to Describe Yourself on a Resume
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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.
It also writes instructions on the kind of responses you prefer: less enthusiastic writing, perhaps, or bullet points instead of long-winded paragraphs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
John: Quite a wonderful, enthusiastic mare who has enjoyed a great season similar to that of Haiti Couleurs.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Earlier Thursday, photos showed Choe greeting Wang on his arrival at Pyongyang's airport, walking with him on a red carpet before an enthusiastic crowd waving North Korean and Chinese flags.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
My social feeds are largely filled with enthusiastic folks, but a noticeable amount of posts are highly defensive about the cost, both in terms of finances and attention.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
“Yeah,” Dad confirmed, but he didn’t sound too enthusiastic about it.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
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.
