zeal en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ziːl/ (UK)
- /zil/ (US)
Etymology
From Middle English zele, from Old French zel, from Late Latin zēlus, from Ancient Greek ζῆλος (zêlos, “zeal, jealousy”), from Proto-Indo-European *yeh₂- (“to search”). Related to jealous.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) The fervour or tireless devotion for a person, cause, or ideal and determination in its furtherance; diligent enthusiasm; powerful interest.
It [Troutbeck] has religious isolation also, for it is several miles—and very strenuous miles in winter—from the parish church at Mungrisdale, and the introduction of the harmonium to the waiting room was due to the zeal of a vicar of many years ago who, in the absence of any other room in the village, obtained permission to use the premises for services, including Sunday School. Most of his successors have continued this self-sacrificing duty.
1951 October, “Notes and News: The Harmonium at Troutbeck”, in Railway Magazine, page 709:[…] the highest zeal in religion and the deepest hypocrisy, so far from being inconsistent, are often or commonly united in the same individual character.
1779, David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, part 12, pages 143–144:[He] would begin admiring her drawings with so much zeal and so little knowledge as seemed terribly like a would-be lover,
1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 14, in Emma: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC, page 250:Zeal, the blind conductor of the will
1687, [John Dryden], “The Third Part”, in The Hind and the Panther. A Poem, in Three Parts, 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 96:The stockman’s zeal for eliminating the coyote has resulted in plagues of field mice, which the coyote formerly controlled.
1962, Rachel Carson, chapter 15, in Silent Spring, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, page 248:She extols the virtues of veganism with missionary zeal.
I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 10:2:
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) A person who exhibits such fervour or tireless devotion.
[…] like a malicious purblinde zeale as thou art!
1614, Ben Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, London: Robert Allot, act v, scene 5, page 85:[…] there are questionlesse both in Greeke, Roman and Africa Churches, solemnities, and ceremonies, whereof the wiser zeales doe make a Christian use, and stand condemned by us;
1642, Thomas Browne, Religio Medici, London: Andrew Crooke, page 5:
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(collective, countable, uncountable) A group of zebras.
A zeal of zebras confuses predators. Each zebra has a different set of stripes.
2012, Alex Kuskowski, Zeal of Zebras: Animal Groups on an African Safari, →ISBN, page 8:These three were a part of a zeal of 30 zebras.
2021 October 15, Julia Craven, “Everything We Know About the Maryland Zebras On the Run”, in Slate.com, archived from the original on 26 Jul 2026:Zebras can also be called a herd or a zeal.
2019 June 6, “A gaggle, a confusion and a conspiracy - bizarre animal collective group names”, in BBC, archived from the original on 01 Apr 2021:I loved seeing a zeal of zebras.
2018 September 21, Lisa Ellen Niver, “Where Did I Travel on My First African Safari?”, in Jewish Journal, archived from the original on 26 Jul 2026:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| zeals | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Relateds
zealotry · missionary zeal · zealotical · zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse · zealotic · jealousy · zealous · zealot · jealous · zealously · zealousness
Synonyms
zealot · dazzle · herd · passion · eagerness · intensity · ardour · enthusiasm
Translations (105)
hu hevület (fervour or devotion) · es ahínco (fervour or devotion) · grc ζῆλος (fervour or devotion) · es celo (fervour or devotion) · pdt Iewa (fervour or devotion) · oc zèl (fervour or devotion) · kw diwysykter (fervour or devotion) · sv iver (fervour or devotion) · mk ревност (fervour or devotion) · de Eifer (fervour or devotion) · cy aidd msêl (fervour or devotion) · az canfəşanlıq (fervour or devotion) · hu lelkesedés (fervour or devotion) · bg стреме́ж (fervour or devotion) · eo fervoro (fervour or devotion) · pt zelo (fervour or devotion) · la zēlus (fervour or devotion) · ja 熱情 (fervour or devotion) · nb iver (fervour or devotion) · hu buzgóság (fervour or devotion) · az şövq (fervour or devotion) · be запа́л (fervour or devotion) · ro zel (fervour or devotion) · sk horlivosť (fervour or devotion) · la studium (fervour or devotion) · cmn 熱心 /热心 (fervour or devotion) · hy նախանձախնդրություն (fervour or devotion) · sv nitälskan (fervour or devotion) · hu hév (fervour or devotion) · cmn 熱忱 /热忱 (fervour or devotion) · es afán (fervour or devotion) · de Begeisterung (fervour or devotion) · ko 열정 (fervour or devotion) · ca zel (fervour or devotion) · grc προθυμία (fervour or devotion) · sa उत्साह (fervour or devotion) · ro râvnă (fervour or devotion) · hu buzgalom (fervour or devotion) · fa شوق (fervour or devotion) · es ahincanza (fervour or devotion) · uk завзя́ття (fervour or devotion) · fr zèle (fervour or devotion) · got 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (fervour or devotion) · uz gʻayrat (fervour or devotion) · ru запа́л (fervour or devotion) · tg ғайрат (fervour or devotion) · ru рве́ние (fervour or devotion) · tr heves (fervour or devotion) · ka სიბეჯითე (fervour or devotion) · sq cenë (fervour or devotion) · it zelo (fervour or devotion) · uk запопа́дливість (fervour or devotion) · ja 気勢 (fervour or devotion) · nl geestdrift (fervour or devotion) · fa تَعَصُّب (fervour or devotion) · io zelo (fervour or devotion) · cmn 激情 (fervour or devotion) · tr hırs (fervour or devotion) · ja 意気込み (fervour or devotion) · es zelo (fervour or devotion) · be заўзя́тасць (fervour or devotion) · el ζήλος (fervour or devotion) · ro sârguință (fervour or devotion) · la ardor (fervour or devotion) · fi intohimo (fervour or devotion) · ru усе́рдие (fervour or devotion) · fr assiduité (fervour or devotion) · la alacritās (fervour or devotion) · ota حرارت (fervour or devotion) · la fervor (fervour or devotion) · nl ijver (fervour or devotion) · chr ᎤᏚᎩᎬᏗ (fervour or devotion) · ru стара́ние (fervour or devotion) · fi kiihko (fervour or devotion) · ga díograis (fervour or devotion) · uk за́пал (fervour or devotion) · cy selogrwydd (fervour or devotion) · ja 情熱 (fervour or devotion) · gd eud (fervour or devotion) · uk завзя́тість (fervour or devotion) · pl zapał (fervour or devotion) · ar جُهْد (fervour or devotion) · cs horlivost (fervour or devotion) · cmn 熱情 /热情 (fervour or devotion) · da iver (fervour or devotion) · ro ardoare (fervour or devotion) · tr şevk (fervour or devotion) · ja 熱意 (fervour or devotion) · grc σπουδή (fervour or devotion) · ar حَمَاس (fervour or devotion) · wyi toolangi (fervour or devotion) · ka გულმოდგინება (fervour or devotion) · sv nit (fervour or devotion) · ia zelo (fervour or devotion) · ka თავგამოდება (fervour or devotion) · fa غِیرَت (fervour or devotion) · arz جهد (fervour or devotion) · bg стара́ние (fervour or devotion) · es ahincamiento (fervour or devotion) · bg усъ́рдие (fervour or devotion) · pl gorliwość (fervour or devotion) · fi into (fervour or devotion) · es denuedo (fervour or devotion) · nb engasjement (fervour or devotion) · txb spelkke (fervour or devotion)