zeal

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun zeal differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of zeal are ardor, enthusiasm, fervor, and passion. While all these words mean "intense emotion compelling action," zeal implies energetic and unflagging pursuit of an aim or devotion to a cause.

preaches with fanatical zeal

When is ardor a more appropriate choice than zeal?

While in some cases nearly identical to zeal, ardor suggests warm and excited feeling likely to be fitful or short-lived.

the ardor of their honeymoon soon faded

Where would enthusiasm be a reasonable alternative to zeal?

The words enthusiasm and zeal can be used in similar contexts, but enthusiasm applies to lively or eager interest in or admiration for a proposal, cause, or activity.

never showed much enthusiasm for sports

When could fervor be used to replace zeal?

While the synonyms fervor and zeal are close in meaning, fervor implies a warm and steady emotion.

read the poem aloud with great fervor

When can passion be used instead of zeal?

The synonyms passion and zeal are sometimes interchangeable, but passion applies to an emotion that is deeply stirring or ungovernable.

was a slave to his passions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of zeal Few have skewered La-La land with such zeal as this 10-episode Apple TV+ series from creator/writer/star Seth Rogen, executive producer/co-creator Evan Goldberg and co-creators Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, and Frida Perez. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025 With gleaming new infrastructure and a zeal for technological progress lacking in the United States, these regions show that the West is no longer exceptional in its embrace of progress, contrary to what Maine once posited. Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2025 And the zeal for thrifting appears to be only growing not just in central Virginia, but across the country. Kinsey Gidick, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025 Well, the state’s zeal to kill Zeigler has now spanned five decades. Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for zeal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zeal
Noun
  • Premature removal of the plant foliage reduces plant vigor and bulb size.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Habba emerged as one of Trump’s fiercest media surrogates while one of his personal attorneys, defending the then-former president with vigor both in the courtroom and on TV.
    Ella Lee, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Which parent, like William, hasn’t wanted to share their passion with their children?
    Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Who can forget Leslie Knope’s undying passion for public service, waffles and endless fight for justice?
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The enthusiasm has spawned an industry that turns offal—a catchall term for an animal’s nonmuscular parts—into pill or powdered form.
    Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Royals broadcaster Rex Hudler wears his heart on his sleeve when calling games, and his enthusiasm is evident to anyone who has tuned to FanDuel Sports Kansas City.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Back then, the anti-immigration fervor of the Tea Party was just starting to emerge.
    Mary Ellen Klas, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Relevance is even more important amid an ongoing fervor for beauty dupes.
    Emma Sandler, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Zeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zeal. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on zeal

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