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
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See Examples For:
Many of his biggest episodes over the past year have been nonpolitical, including interviews with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, YouTuber MrBeast and UFO enthusiast Bob Lazar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 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
But it did praise Bourgeois, with Stuart Heritage calling him "the most enthusiastic enthusiast currently working on planet Earth".
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Salisbury was colorful: A mixed martial arts enthusiast, he once appeared at the agency’s headquarters with his face bruised and eye blackened from a recent bout.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
A speed enthusiast knows that everything he says or does is brilliant.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Sports enthusiasts have their own dedicated amenity in the form of a clay tennis court, which is accompanied by an entertainment pavilion.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
One of the study's biggest surprises involved a large stick insect that had long been familiar to both scientists and insect enthusiasts.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
"Since X2 opened in 2008, it has welcomed more than 16 million guests and earned a passionate following among ride enthusiasts," he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Founded in Finland in 2013, Oura has built a following among health and longevity enthusiasts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The eastern woods teemed with flora unknown to the Old World, and there was a huge eagerness, from scientists and amateur enthusiasts alike, to get a piece of it.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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