Definitions

zeal

[zeel] / zil /

NOUN

enthusiasm

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ardor determination devotion diligence eagerness earnestness fanaticism fervor gusto inclination intensity passion perseverance sincerity spirit urgency verve warmth zest

STRONG

alacrity bustle dispatch drive enterprise fierceness fire hustle initiative intentness keenness mania push readiness vehemence yen

WEAK

stick-to-itiveness what it takes

Antonyms

STRONGEST

apathy coolness disinterest dullness inactivity indifference insincerity laziness lethargy neglect unenthusiasm

STRONG

discouragement

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By the following month, the zeal had died out, partly due to a valuation correction in software.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

There are others, though, whose own zeal and blind ambition are obvious.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

Kim Il Sung’s upbringing gave the young man a front-row seat to the power of faith—its power to mobilize and inspire awe, devotion, fear or zeal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

But Kornev is young and infused with an idealistic zeal, refusing to let these goons stonewall him.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The stockman’s zeal for eliminating the coyote has resulted in plagues of field mice, which the coyote formerly controlled.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Vocabulary lists containing zeal

100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know

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List 1

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The Things They Carried

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