Zealot Meaning and Usage

Noun

1. one who embraces a cause and supports it with vigor; a fanatically committed person;

one who is zealous; person who shows excessive zeal ; filled with or marked by great interest or enthusiasm; eager, earnest, fervent.

2. a member of an ancient Jewish sect in Judea in the first century who fought to the death against the Romans and who killed or persecuted Jews who collaborated with the Romans

zeal - eager enthusiasm (to a cause or ideal)



Derivatives :

Zealotic - adjective
Zealotism – noun
Zealotry - noun
Zealous - adjective
Zealously - adverb


Let’s look at some examples:

1. The man was known as a religious zealot, as he never stopped trying to convert others to his beliefs.

2. We have to deal with ruthless zealots who are willing to die for their cause.

3. To the delight of his students, he brought great zeal to the teaching profession.

4. Their attacks on innocent civilians show how far their zealotry can take them.

5. Shalom was such a zealous student that he begged his teacher to assign him extra projects.

6. Far too much damage has been done by zealots fighting in a worldly way while claiming to be doing God's work.

7. In some cases, like John Brown, religious zealots paved the way for the end to slavery.

8. Fighting helmet zealots with reason is not only challenging, arguably it's no longer an option.



Synonyms:

Zeal : ardour, fervor

zealot : fanatic, extremist, radical, bigot, maniac, militant, partisan, fan, lobbyist, devotee, dogmatist, opinionist, missionary, fighter, cultist, follower, disciple, propagandist, plugger, crank, faddist, fiend, drumbeater, advocate, advocator, exponent, proponent, doctrinaire, enthusiast, sectary, votary, revolutionary, revolutionist, ultra

zealous: fervent, fervid

zealotry : fanaticism, extremism, radicalism, bigotry, militantism, terrorism, single-mindedness, monomania, fervour, frenzy, hysteria, obsession, obsessiveness.



Antonyms (of Zeal): apathy


Some additional examples:

1. Stockman was obviously a key figure; a supply-side zealot with an impressive grasp of the complexities of the budgetary process, he dazzled both colleagues and adversaries.

2. To judge from what little evidence survives, there seems to have been a strong dynastic element involved in Zealot leadership.


Know more:

zealot implies extreme or excessive devotion to a cause and vehement activity in its support zealots of reform;

fanatic suggests the unreasonable overzealousness of one who goes to any length to maintain or carry out his or her beliefs a temperance fanatic;

an enthusiast is one who is animated by an intense and eager interest in an activity, cause, etc. a sports enthusiast;

bigot implies blind and intolerant devotion to a creed, opinions, etc. a religious bigot