adj

zealous

ZEH-luhs

adj

Filled with energetic enthusiasm or eagerness, especially for a cause or duty.

"The zealous volunteers arrived before dawn to set up the shelter."

"Critics called the new policy a zealous overreach."

How to Use Zealous

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishVery enthusiastic and committed — sometimes admiringly, sometimes as a criticism of going too far.

Easily confused with

zeal → jealous →

Common pairings

zealous advocate zealous enforcement zealous supporter

more zealous comparative, zealouser comparative, most zealous superlative, zealousest superlative

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The _____ volunteers arrived before dawn to set up the shelter.

From Latin zēlōsus, from zēlus ("zeal"); a doublet of "jealous," which took a different meaning down a separate path.

yous nous pious joyous famous odious porous mucous Aldous heinous ominous curious