fanatical

American  

[fuh-nat-i-kuhl] / fəˈnæt ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. motivated or characterized by an extreme, uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics.

   Synonyms:

   rabid, frenzied, zealous, enthusiastic

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fanatical British  

/ fəˈnætɪkəl /

adjective

1. surpassing what is normal or accepted in enthusiasm for or belief in something; excessively or unusually dedicated or devoted

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Usage

What does fanatical mean? Fanatical means having and being motivated by an extreme and often unquestioning enthusiasm, devotion, or zeal for something, such as a religion, political stance, or cause. A person who shows such extreme enthusiasm or devotion is called a fanatic. Sometimes, fanatic is used negatively to imply that someone takes such devotion too far, as in They’re considered religious fanatics due to their extreme practices. Close synonyms are extremist, radical, and zealot. Other times, fanatic is not used negatively but instead simply refers to someone who is extreme in their devotion or enthusiasm for an interest or hobby. For example, calling someone a sports fanatic means they’re an extremely enthusiastic fan of sports. In fact, the word fan is a shortening of fanatic. Fanatical can be used to describe either a kind of fanatic or such a person’s beliefs or behavior. Example: We dismiss these extreme beliefs by calling them fanatical, but they may be more widespread than we think.

Related Words

See intolerant, radical.

Other Word Forms

• fanatically adverb
• fanaticalness noun
• nonfanatical adjective
• nonfanatically adverb
• unfanatical adjective
• unfanatically adverb

Etymology

Origin of fanatical

First recorded in 1540–50; fanatic + -al ¹

Explanation

If you are excessively enthusiastic about something — a sports team, an actor, your religion, saving the whales, a certain brand of chocolate — then you are fanatical about it. Fanatical comes from the word fanatic, which itself came from the Latin fanaticus, meaning "mad" or "inspired by a deity." The root word is fanum, or "temple." The original English meanings of both fanatic and fanatical implied that the person being described was insane with enthusiasm, like a religious zealot. The word fan is likely shortened from fanatic, and thus shares the same roots, but that word doesn't imply the same obsessiveness that fanatical does.

Example Sentences

India captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted Friday "there will be nerves" when India open their T20 World Cup campaign in front of more than 30,000 fanatical home supporters in Mumbai, but vowed to give them "entertainment".

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Third, the military collapse of the caliphate 10 years ago didn’t result only in its territorial disappearance; it also led to the internment of several thousand jihadists fanatical to the point of madness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

This is probably better suited to older kids, who won’t be disturbed by the themes, but will still appreciate the fanatical storytelling and stunning animation.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

"He is a workaholic, fanatical and leads from the front. I guess that is why a lot of these younger players who are coming through are working so hard for him and having great success."

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2025

To enforce his absolute authority as the leader, or Führer, of the Nazi regime, Hitler created his own private army composed of fanatical Nazis called the Schutzstaffel, or SS.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• bigoted
• dogmatic
• enthusiastic
• fervent
• frenzied
• impassioned
• narrow-minded
• obsessive
• passionate
• rabid
• single-minded
• stubborn
• violent
• zealous