Vocabulary in context
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Zealot
A person who is fanatically devoted to a religious, political, or other cause; a fanatic.
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Imagine This
In a circus, the seals are always very enthusiastic to put on a good performance so that they can be rewarded with fish afterwards.
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Sounds Like
ZEEL-ət
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Looks Like
Resembles the word 'zeal' with an added -ot suffix.
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Remember This
A zealot is a person with intense, uncompromising zeal; the term often carries a negative connotation. A zealot's fervor is typically directed toward a cause, ideology, or movement.
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Other Forms
zealousadjective
zealouslyadverb
zealotrynoun
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Connect With
fanatic, fanaticism, dogmatism, extremism, devotion
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Note
Do not confuse zealot with zeal (fervor), zealous (adjective), or zealotry (excessive zeal as a concept).
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The candidate's supporters were portrayed as zealots by their opponents.
- Religious zealots sometimes resist compromise in the name of their beliefs.
Synonyms
fanaticextremistbigotdiehardpartisan
Antonyms
moderateskeptic
Etymology
From zeal + -ot; influenced by the Biblical Zealots (a Jewish sect in the 1st century CE). The root 'zeal' comes from Latin zelus (from Greek zēlos/zelos, meaning fervor or ardor). The suffix -ot denotes a person associated with or characterized by something.
Mnemonic
ZEALOT = ZEAL + A LOT. A zealot is a person who has a lot of zeal.
Try a Random Word
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Disingenuous
adjectiveNot candid or sincere; intentionally pretending to be naive or harmless in order to mislead others.
Contiguous
adjectiveTouching or sharing a common border; adjacent or directly next to something with no gap between them.
Kindle
verbTo light or start a fire; to arouse or inflame (a feeling, interest, or emotion).
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
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