fanatic

WOTD – 3 February 2008    

Fanatic sports fans

English

Alternative forms

• fanatick (obsolete)

Etymology

First attested in 1525. From Latin fānāticus (“of a temple, divinely inspired, frenzied”), from fānum (“temple”). Influenced by French fanatique.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fəˈnæt.ɪk/, X-SAMPA: /f@"n{t.Ik/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ætɪk

Adjective

fanatic (comparative more fanatic, superlative most fanatic)

1. Fanatical.
2. (obsolete) Showing evidence of possession by a god or demon; frenzied, over-zealous.

Translations

fanatical

• Bulgarian: фанатичен (bg) (fanatičen)
• Finnish: kiihkomielinen (fi), fanaattinen (fi), kiihkeä (fi)
• German: fanatisch (de)
• Greek: φανατικός (el) (fanatikós) m
• Hungarian: fanatikus (hu)

• Italian: fanatico (it), maniaco (it), patito (it), seguace (it)
• Macedonian: фанатичен (mk) (fanátičen)
• Polish: fanatyczny m
• Russian: фанатичный (ru) (fanatíčnyj)
• Slovak: fanatický (sk)
• Turkish: bağnaz (tr), fanatik (tr)

showing evidence of possession by a god or demon

• Polish: nawiedzony m, opętany m

• Russian: одержимый (ru) (oderžímyj)

Noun

fanatic (plural fanatics)

1. A person who is zealously enthusiastic for some cause, especially in religion.

Translations

one who is zealously enthusiastic

• Bulgarian: фанатик (bg) (fanatik) m
• Czech: fanatik (cs) m
• Finnish: kiihkoilija (fi), fanaatikko (fi)
• French: fanatique (fr) m
• German: Fanatiker (de) m, Fanatikerin (de) f
• Hungarian: fanatikus (hu)
• Italian: fanatico (it), patito (it), maniaco (it), seguace (it)

• Macedonian: фанатик (mk) (fanátik) m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: fanatiker (nb) m

  Nynorsk: fanatikar (nn) m

• Polish: fanatyk m, fanatyczka f
• Portuguese: fanático (pt) m, fanática (pt) f
• Russian: фанатик (ru) (fanátik) m
• Slovak: fanatik (sk) m

See also

• fan
• crank

Quotations

• A zealot can't change his mind. A fanatic can't change his mind and won't change the subject. —Winston Churchill (attributed)
• A fanatic is one who redoubles his effort when he has forgotten his aim. —George Santayana