zeal

[zeel]

See more synonyms for zeal on Thesaurus.com

noun

fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor.

Origin of zeal

1350–1400; Middle English zele < Late Latin zēlus < Greek zêlos

Related formszeal·less, adjectiveun·der·zeal, noun

Synonyms for zeal

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intensity, passion.

Antonyms for zeal

apathy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for zeal

perseverance, eagerness, zest, diligence, earnestness, ardor, gusto, warmth, intensity, determination, urgency, fervor, verve, sincerity, passion, fanaticism, spirit, devotion, inclination, readiness

Examples from the Web for zeal

Contemporary Examples of zeal

He implored me to do so with the zeal of someone who had just found God, emphatically praising the article.
War Is Hell and Such Good Fun
Don Gomez
November 11, 2014
Even as the ranks of culture warriors on the right diminish, their zeal seems to intensify.
The Right Wing Screams for the Wambulance Over Gay Marriage Ruling
Walter Olson
October 13, 2014
One of those preachers admitted to The Daily Beast that he was taken aback by her zeal.
The UK’s New Iron Lady in Kitten Heels
Nico Hines, Tom Sykes
October 4, 2014
With that kind of zeal, squeezing in extracurriculars is more essential than ever.
Life’s Essentials: Serious Work, Serious Fun.
July 21, 2014
Portland will always support the Thorns with classic Cascadian zeal.
Portland Is Ground Zero for the Best Women’s Soccer in the World
Evelyn Shoop
June 30, 2014

Historical Examples of zeal

However, we have told her to moderate her zeal for our insulted authority.
Clarissa, Volume 2 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
Methinks this is an excess of zeal for a friend who was so late an enemy!
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
It was my zeal for the king of Spain that brought me into that peril.
Leila, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
We had seven of them, when my mother interfered and put a stop to my zeal.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
I will not deny that it is a pleasure to me to find you so full of zeal.
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for zeal

zeal

noun

fervent or enthusiastic devotion, often extreme or fanatical in nature, as to a religious movement, political cause, ideal, or aspiration

Word Origin for zeal

C14: from Late Latin zēlus, from Greek zēlos

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

Word Origin and History for zeal

late 14c., from Late Latin zelus "zeal, emulation" (source of Old French zel, Italian zelo, Spanish celo), a Church word, from Greek zelos "zeal, ardor, jealousy," which is of uncertain origin.