Do you know that you can take each day as an opportunity to learn a new word and improve your vocabulary? Learning a new word opens your mind to new insights and reasoning; it empowers you to think and take action in ways you never thought of before. That said, the new word you will be learning today is “zealous,” its definition, meaning, and how to use it in sentences.
“Zealous” (adjective) means “marked by active interest and enthusiasm.” The word is formed from the noun “zeal,” which means “eager partisanship.” The word is used in scenarios that show devotion or when someone has a strong urge to do something to see it succeed.
“Zealous” is one of the few words that people have difficulty using since most people are unsure if the word is positive or negative. However, by the time you finish reading this article, you will have learned the zealous definition, meaning, and usage. Let us now get into details.
What Is the Definition of Zealous?
We define “zealous” as “being full of zeal”; it can be either in the service of a person or a cause. It shows that someone put in all the effort to attain a particular result.
The word can be replaced by “ardor,” “eagerness,” or “enthusiasm.” If a person is “zealous,” then it means that they put in a lot of time and energy planning or supporting something that they strongly believe in.
An example of the word in a sentence: She is a zealous supporter of the priest and his teachings. In the sentence, the word zealous shows how committed the lady is in supporting the priest’s teaching. It shows that she has passion and is earnest to support the priest.
In most cases, the word zealous is positive and only used in cases where the enthusiasm someone has is good. But if someone is “too zealous” or overzealous,” the word, in this case, can be damaging.
The best way to understand this is by looking at this sentence. “The fans were too zealous that their cheering turned to aggression, so the football players had to get out of the field.” This is an excellent example of how “too much zealous” can cause harm.
Other Grammatical Forms of Zealous
Learning the different grammatical forms of a word makes it possible to use them in your communication effectively. It also helps you know how you can construct sentences with the vocabulary you learn and its different forms. Here are the three most common forms of the word zealous.
- Zeal: “Zeal” is a noun that means “great energy or enthusiasm.” Examples;
- She is in full zeal for her studies.
- Martin has a great zeal for fighting poverty in his town.
- Zealously: “zealously” is an adjective that means “with great force and desire.” Examples;
- The tribes zealously guard their tradition.
- The elected members of the National Assembly Zealously support the new tax law.
- Zealousness: “Zealousness” is a noun that means “the quality of being very enthusiastic and eager.” Examples;
- The law firm should be commended for their zealousness when seeking justice for the man killed in the line of duty.
- Because his zealousness showed through his hard work, the sales representative was promoted to assistant manager.
What Is The Meaning Of Zealous?
“Zealous” is also used in religion to mean “devotion to God or religious cause.” Though the word “zealous” does not have to be religious, people use it in religious situations.
In fact, the word “zealous” is used eight times in the King James Bible. “Zealous” in religion means “having a warm pursuit in religious beliefs.” or: devoted to God.”
An example of the word “zealous” in the Bible is “be always zealous for fear of the Lord.” The above sentence means that Christians should fear the Lord and commit to His word. It is all about Christians being devoted and having a passion for God. The word is not only for the Christian religion.
Other religions also use zealous to mean “loving devotion to transcendent religious objects.” Whether you use the word “zealous” in religious content or not, the meaning remains the same” full of passion.” It could be that someone is exhibiting enthusiasm in their studies, work, relationship, beliefs, or in someone else.
How to Use Zealous In a Sentence?
Zealous is used in sentences that need a vocabulary to mean “enthusiasm,” “eagerness| or “of an extreme nature.” The word is used to show the high intensity of these emotions.
That explains why most people choose to keep the word phase positive. Here are a few sentences to evidence that. Learn and keep practicing.
- The child was zealous for learning and always asked his parents questions about the world around him.
- In her new job, she does more than what is required of her: Her zealous level at work remains unmatched.
- Seeing their child take a sudden interest in a sport, the parents seemed to become quite zealous about it as well.
- When she discovered her love for coaching, she became zealous about sharing that passion with other people to help them achieve success.
Ten Examples of Zealous In a Sentence
Ready to know the best way to use “zealous” in sentences? Learning from existing examples saves you from guessing whenever you want to use the word. Here are some example sentences that will help you learn.
- The zealous lawyer fought for the accused relentlessly despite the case taking more time than expected.
- Since he is a zealous supporter of the senator, he has promised to donate money to support his political career.
- Although the building manager is a zealous cat lover, she has no pet ethics, which doesn’t go well with the neighbors.
- The zealous actor got the most awards from the show, and everybody loved it.
- The zealous cab drivers constantly narrate temerarious stories to the passengers during local trips.
- Some cast were more zealous than others, and that explains why the production seems to be averagely done.
- During the fight, it was evident that zealous fans had filled the front seats.
- My grandfather is a zealous Michael Jackson fan, and that is why he still has all the DVDs of his albums.
- Michael is the epitome of proof that if you want to keep your job, you should be more of a zealous worker.
- Most of the bloggers covered the event zealously as they knew that it would attract a massive increase in viewership.
How Do You Spell Zealous?
The word “zealous” is spelled as z-e-a-l-o-u-s or /zɛləs/.
When spelling the word out loud, you should note that the “e” and “a” sounds are pronounced as “e.” The “o” and “u” sound as “a.” if you are not careful with the sounds, then you might end up misspelling the word.
How Do You Pronounce Zealous?
The word “zealous” is pronounced as zel-us or zeh-luhs.
When pronouncing “zealous,” ensure you can articulate each word and sound correctly. The first part, which is “z,” should be strong then, followed by the “ea,” which produces the “e” sound (which should not be too sharp). Then the “l” sound needs to be strong, followed by a blunt “ou” sound, then the “s” at the end. When pronouncing, you will notice that it uses various facial muscles like the mouth, jaw, lips, and teeth.
How Many Syllables Are in Zealous?
The word “zealous” has two syllables. The stressed syllable in the word is “zeal.”
The syllables are divided as zeal and ous (zeal-ous). It is essential to learn the syllables found in a word to make it easy to pronounce. You also need to find out the syllables that you need to stress.
Synonyms Of The Word “Zealous”
- Dedicated
- Ardent
- Passionate
- Fervent
Antonyms Of The Word “Zealous”
- Frigid
- Unpassionate
- Apathetic
- Unexcited
History and Etymology of Zealous
The word “zealous” is from the Greek word “zelos.”
A fun fact about the origin of “zealous” is that it’s similar to “jealous.” Though the origin of both these words is Greek, the word first appeared in the Latin Language as “zelosus.” It’s also interesting to know that before the first ‘zealous’ use in the English language, the French used the term “gelos” or “jealous”.
When Was The Word Zealous First Used?
The word “zealous” was first used in the 1520s.
Conclusion
In summary, “zealous” can mean any person or thing highly excited or devoted to something. Though the word is often used in religious settings to show people a passion for their religion, it is not necessarily religious. The word is mostly positive, but too much of it can be damaging. It is vital to understand the context when using the word to use it correctly.
Make learning a new word each day a routine, and before you know it, you will have enough vocabulary to use to express yourself. It will also be easy to understand different conversations despite the context. Based on the zealous definition and additional explanation in this article, make sure you practice spelling, pronouncing, and writing the word often. Happy learning.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.