zeal

American  

[zeel] / zil /

noun

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

   Synonyms:

   passion, intensity

   Antonyms:

   apathy

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zeal British  

/ ziːl /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• underzeal noun
• zealless adjective

Etymology

Origin of zeal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English zele, from Late Latin zēlus “jealousy, rivalry,” from Greek zêlos

Example Sentences

Samson’s self-sacrifice in defeating his Philistine enemies was used by Samuel Adams and others to illustrate the “zeal” of the Sons of Liberty.

From The Wall Street Journal

Critics say that in its zeal to get its agenda into court, ADF has manufactured disputes.

From The Wall Street Journal

The madcap zeal that Madame Pernelle brings to the stage only intermittently returns to the production.

From The Wall Street Journal

Once I got through that ordeal—months of chemotherapy, a bone-marrow transplant—I took the task up again, this time with new zeal.

From The Wall Street Journal

As “True Nature” illustrates, “The Snow Leopard” differs from Matthiessen’s previous nonfiction because it melds science with a spiritual quest, incorporating the author’s newfound zeal for Zen Buddhism.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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