zeal

English

Etymology

First coined in 1382, from Middle English zele, from Old French zel, from Late Latin zēlus, from Ancient Greek ζήλος (zēlos, “zeal, jealousy”), from ζηλόω (zēloō, “to emulate, to be jealous”). Cognate to jealous.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ziːl/, X-SAMPA: /zi:l/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːl

Noun

zeal (countable and uncountable; plural zeals)

1. The fervor or tireless devotion for a person, cause, or ideal and determination in its furtherance; diligent enthusiasm; powerful interest.
   • Dryden

     Zeal, the blind conductor of the will.

   • Bible, Romans x. 2

     I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

2. (obsolete) A zealot.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Ben Jonson to this entry?)

Synonyms

• (fervor): ardor, eagerness, enthusiasm, intensity, passion

Antonyms

• (fervor): apathy

Derived terms

zealot zealotic zealotical zealotry

zealous zealously zealousness

Related terms

• jealous
• jealousy

Translations

fervor or devotion

• Arabic: حماس (ar)
• Catalan: zel (ca) m
• Czech: horlivost (cs) f
• Dutch: ijver (nl) m, geestdrift (nl) m
• Esperanto: fervoro (eo)
• Finnish: into (fi), intohimo (fi), kiihko (fi)
• French: zèle (fr) m, assiduité (fr) f
• German: Eifer (de) m, Begeisterung (de) f
• Italian: zelo (it) m

• Japanese: 熱情 (ja) (netsujō)
• Norwegian: engasjement (no) n, iver (no) m
• Romanian: zel (ro) n, ardoare (ro) f
• Russian: рвение (ru) (rvenije) n, усердие (ru) (userdije) n
• Scottish Gaelic: eud (gd) m
• Spanish: ahínco (es) m, fervor (es) m, celo (es) m, entusiasmo (es) m
• Swedish: iver (sv), nit (sv) c
• Turkish: hırs (tr), şevk (tr), heves (tr)

Anagrams

• laze