zealous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonzealous adjective
- nonzealously adverb
- nonzealousness noun
- underzealous adjective
- underzealously adverb
- underzealousness noun
- unzealous adjective
- unzealously adverb
- zealously adverb
- zealousness noun
Etymology
Origin of zealous
First recorded in 1520–30; from Medieval Latin zēlōsus; see origin at zeal, -ous
Explanation
Use the adjective zealous as a way to describe eagerness or enthusiastic activity. If you are too zealous in your efforts to decorate the house with Christmas lights, you might cause a power outage for the whole neighborhood. Zealous is the adjective for the noun zeal, "eager partisanship"; the latter has a long e, but zealous has a short one: ZEL-uhs. It can have a slightly negative connotation, and people are sometimes described as overzealous, meaning they try too hard. Zealous rhymes with jealous (and in fact they both derive from the same Greek word), but don't confuse them: a jealous person might be resentful of someone who makes zealous efforts to achieve success.
Vocabulary lists containing zealous
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Hispanics—overwhelmingly the object of zealous immigration enforcement—consistently outperform all other groups in labor-force participation rates.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
“However, Eastman’s inaccurate assertions were lies that cannot be justified as zealous advocacy.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
Unwittingly, zealous regulators have turned stock markets into the casinos that commissioner Crenshaw deplores.
From Barron's • Jan. 2, 2026
Scheffler said on Tuesday it was "not a fulfilling life" and the zealous pursuit of wins is "something I wrestle with on a daily basis".
From BBC • Jul. 20, 2025
In Terryl, the criminals had a particularly ardent and zealous foe.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
