Synonyms

fanatical

American

[fuh-nat-i-kuhl] / fəˈnæt ɪ kəl /

adjective

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

Synonyms:

rabid , frenzied , zealous , enthusiastic

fanatical British

/ fəˈnætɪkəl /

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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.

Blame the Islamic Republic’s fanatical hatred of Israel.

From The Wall Street Journal

As ever, he’s fanatical about what makes a good one.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Hindu nationalists who run India and the fanatical jihadists of Afghanistan may not agree on much, but there is one idea that works for both: The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

From The Wall Street Journal

After the loss at Selhurst Park, the trip to Istanbul was arguably the last thing Liverpool needed, walking into this hostile, fanatical atmosphere that is a ready-built stage for sporting theatre.

From BBC

As American politics have become increasingly divisive and supercharged by misinformation, the term seeks to apply our understanding of dangerous and fanatical religious groups to extreme political beliefs.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023