a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he felt a kind of religious zeal"
zeal
How to use zeal in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for zeal.
Editorial note
I now have the fanatic zeal of a convert.
Quick take
a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he felt a kind of religious zeal"
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of zeal gathered in one view.
excessive fervor to do something or accomplish some end; "he had an absolute zeal for litigation"
prompt willingness; "readiness to continue discussions"; "they showed no eagerness to spread the gospel"; "they disliked his zeal in demonstrating his superiority"; "he tried to explain his forwardness in battle"
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for zeal.
noun
a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he felt a kind of religious zeal"
noun
excessive fervor to do something or accomplish some end; "he had an absolute zeal for litigation"
noun
prompt willingness; "readiness to continue discussions"; "they showed no eagerness to spread the gospel"; "they disliked his zeal in demonstrating his superiority"; "he tried to explain his forwardness in battle"
See also: readiness, eagerness, forwardness
Example sentences
I now have the fanatic zeal of a convert.
The zeal to uncover a money pit has become, in and of itself, a money pit.
In your boundless zeal for "innovation," you have completely failed to comprehend what I was saying.
It could have been as easily as some prosecutor somewhere letting zeal exceed judgement.
She clearly went after Swartz with a self-righteous zeal that was far divorced from the seriousness of the alleged crime.
Great example is the modern smart phone race - if not for his zeal to create the iPhone experience, I think we'd still be lusting after Nokias and Sony Ericsson phones.
That this zeal ensnared the imaginations of respected lawyers, businessmen, doctors, actors, and a future president speaks volumes about human nature.
His opinions on slavery are well-documented, before and during his presidency.> This declared indifference, but I must think, covert real zeal for the spread of slavery, I cannot but hate.
Therefore, I sympathize, although not without criticism on one or two themes, with the apostles and the hierarchy of our organs in their zeal to program orthodox economic and numismatic policies, although I have some logomachy with them.
I think "religious fanatic" is not bashing non-fanatic religious followers, as fanatic necessarily indicates an excess of "single-minded zeal".
Having examined some AML flow of funds data I can say this resilience has nothing to do with the zeal of the Bitcoin community, which in terms of wealth is insignificantly tiny, and everything to do with its adoption in trades deemed, shall we say, unsavoury by the world's legal authorities.
A sensitiveness to fair play and sportsmanship is perhaps the best protection against the abuse of power, and the citizens safety lies in the prosecutor who tempers zeal with human kindness, who seeks truth and not victims, who serves the law and not factional purposes, and who approaches his task with humility.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use zeal in a sentence?
I now have the fanatic zeal of a convert.
What does zeal mean?
a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he felt a kind of religious zeal"
What part of speech is zeal?
zeal is commonly used as noun.