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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of enthusiast
First recorded in 1600–10; from Greek enthousiastḗs “inspired person, possessed person,” from enthousí(a) “possession by a god” ( see 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.
See Examples For:
The steady decrease in quality is unmistakable, and it’s perfectly conceivable that even a day-one Marvel enthusiast would feel the facade crumbling at some point.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
There is even the European Horse Network, whose meetings with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen -- a well-known equine enthusiast -- were criticised by Corporate Europe Observatory for violating the commission's code of conduct.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
This route brings people together, including me and my car enthusiast friends, who regularly go on these driving excursions — gas prices be damned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
“I was a lifelong enthusiast and industry nerd. But today’s cars and auto culture have lost me. What am I doing wrong?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
A speed enthusiast knows that everything he says or does is brilliant.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
But at home, enthusiasts are touting a boom in domestic production.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
Advancements in smartphone technology have made GoPro cameras irrelevant to “anyone beyond hardcore sports enthusiasts or professional creators,” one analyst says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
In its IPO prospectus about a decade later, the company pitched itself as a way for sports enthusiasts to share their adventures and passions.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
Having previously established contacts within the universe of Insta meme-makers, I messaged a few sloppypasta enthusiasts to see whether they might be willing to speak to their use of these captions.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Their network of seed enthusiasts are out to save the world.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
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.
