zeal
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of zeal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English zele, from Late Latin zēlus “jealousy, rivalry,” from Greek zêlos
Explanation
Zeal is dedication or enthusiasm for something. If you have zeal, you're willing, energized, and motivated. Zeal is often used in a religious sense, meaning devotion to God or another religious cause, like being a missionary. Zeal doesn't have to be religious, though: a feeling of gusto and enthusiasm for anything can be called zeal. People have zeal for sports teams, bands, causes, and (often, but not always) their jobs. If you have passion for something, you have zeal, which is kind of a mix of eagerness and energy and devotion.
Vocabulary lists containing zeal
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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List 1
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The Things They Carried
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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.
Zeal Asset Management and Telligent Capital did not respond for requests for comment.
From Reuters • Nov. 7, 2022
Carley Zeal, an OB/GYN in southern Wisconsin and a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, said she recently treated a woman at risk of infection after a miscarriage.
From Washington Post • Jul. 16, 2022
A new ramp vinegar, called Zeal, is from Brightland, a company based in Los Angeles that gets its products, mostly olive oils, vinegars and honeys, from small producers in California and elsewhere.
From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2022
Zeal for Malcolm X is a geo-political bellwether of sorts.
From The New Yorker • Feb. 28, 2015
My Zeal seemed somewhat to cool his Zeal.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
