enthusiastically
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
- antienthusiastically adverb
- hyperenthusiastically adverb
- nonenthusiastically adverb
- overenthusiastically adverb
- pseudoenthusiastically adverb
- quasi-enthusiastically adverb
- unenthusiastically adverb
Etymology
Origin of enthusiastically
First recorded in 1725–35; enthusiastic ( def. ) + -ally ( def. )
Explanation
When you do something enthusiastically, you do it with excitement and eagerness. You might enthusiastically accept your grandmother's invitation to join her on a European cruise. If you love your job, you'll tend to work enthusiastically, and when your favorite band is playing, you'll wait enthusiastically for them to take the stage. Enthusiastically is a great adverb for describing anything you do cheerfully, or with enthusiasm. The adjective enthusiastic originally meant "possessed by a god," and it comes from the Greek word entheos, "divinely inspired or possessed," combining the roots en, "in," and theos, "god."
Vocabulary lists containing enthusiastically
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.
Yet, the three — even Cavallari and Conrad, who were pitted against each other in the 2000s — were warm and chummy, cracking jokes and enthusiastically agreeing with one another.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
For months, friends had noted how enthusiastically he had been speaking about coaching, but no longer training with the intensity of somebody who thought they still had a playing future.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
And, while enthusiastically embracing the therapist’s narrative, the majority persistently portrays her as a victim of Colorado’s attack on her free speech.
From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026
He looked thinner than in his prior court appearance, but grinned enthusiastically as he shook his lawyers’ hands.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
“Come in, Charlotte,” he said enthusiastically, signaling for me to sit at the chair in front of his desk.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
![]()
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.