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.

The bald, 6-foot-2 executive—who stands to make nearly $1 billion if he can help increase the company’s market capitalization by 500% in the next five years—has embraced it with zeal.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

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

Three hundred and fifty miles to the west, there was no need to find a catalyst for the zeal that could be created by a winning high school football team.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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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