zealous

C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ˈzɛləs/ UK /ˈzɛləs/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
showing fervent and energetic devotion to a cause

The zealous volunteers worked through the night to finish the shelter.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · showing fervent and... fervent ardent enthusiastic passionate eager devoted

Opposites

apathetic indifferent lukewarmhalf-hearted

Word family

Forms zealously

Derived forms zealouslyzealousness

Related forms zeal zealotzealotry

Etymology

From Medieval Latin zēlōsus ('full of zeal'), from Late Latin zēlus ('zeal'), from Ancient Greek ζῆλος (zêlos, 'ardor, rivalry').

zēlōsus Latin ζῆλος Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Word Formation & Derivatives

# zealous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈzɛləs
**IPA (UK):** ˈzɛləs

## Meanings
1. showing fervent and energetic devotion to a cause

## Examples
- The zealous volunteers worked through the night to finish the shelter.

## Synonyms
- fervent
- ardent
- enthusiastic
- passionate
- eager
- devoted

## Antonyms
- apathetic
- indifferent
- lukewarm
- half-hearted

## Derived Forms
- zealously
- zealousness

## Related Forms
- zeal
- zealot
- zealotry

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: zēlōsus
- Root: ζῆλος

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin zēlōsus ('full of zeal'), from Late Latin zēlus ('zeal'), from Ancient Greek ζῆλος (zêlos, 'ardor, rivalry').

## AI Etymology
zealous comes from Medieval Latin zēlōsus ('full of zeal'), from Late Latin zēlus ('zeal'), from Ancient Greek ζῆλος (zêlos, 'ardor, rivalry'). The path is chiefly one of transmission: an older form is taken into English, with the word's shape and meaning carried through the language names and forms preserved in the history. In modern use, the adjective sense is "showing fervent and energetic devotion to a cause", which keeps the etymology connected to the word's present dictionary value rather than treating it as a merely historical label. The wider word family includes related English forms such as zeal, zealot, zealotry and derivatives such as zealously, zealousness, showing how the same base continues to support neighboring English vocabulary. The principal historical forms in the chain include Latin zēlōsus, Ancient Greek ζῆλος, which anchor the explanation in named linguistic material.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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