Added 9 October 2026
zealous
/ˈzɛləs/ adjective
In Latin: studiōsus, ardēns, ācer Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about zealous at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Full of zeal; ardent, fervent; exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion, particularly in matters of religion.
Origin
From Middle English zelose, from Latin zēlōsus, from zēlus + -ōsus, from Ancient Greek ζῆλος (zêlos, “zeal, jealousy”), from ζηλόω (zēlóō, “to emulate, to be jealous”). By surface analysis, zeal + -ous. Doublet of jealous.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)