Dictionary

zealot en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈzɛl.ət/

Etymology

Initially only found as Middle English zelote, an epithet of Simon the Zealot, acquiring its current senses in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Middle English derives from Latin zēlōtēs, from Ancient Greek ζηλωτής (zēlōtḗs, “emulator, zealous admirer, follower”), from ζηλόω (zēlóō, “to emulate, to be jealous”), from ζῆλος (zêlos, “zeal, jealousy”).

Meanings

1. One who is zealous, one who is full of zeal for their own specific beliefs or objectives, usually in the negative sense of being too passionate; a fanatic.
   • For Modes of Faith let graceleſs zealots fight; / His can't be wrong whoſe life is in the right: 1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], epistle III, London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC, page 55, lines 305–306:
2. (Judaism, historical) A member of a radical, warlike, ardently patriotic group of Jews in Judea, particularly prominent in the first century, who advocated the violent overthrow of Roman rule and vigorously resisted the efforts of the Romans and their supporters to convert the Jews.
3. (historical) A member of an anti-aristocratic political group in Thessalonica from 1342 until 1350.

Forms

Deriveds

zelotic · zealotism · zealotic · zealotist · superzealot · nonzealot · zealotical · antizealot

Relateds

zealotry · jealousy · zealous · jealous · zeal

Synonyms

enthusiast · fanatic

Translations (89)

fa متعصب (zealous person) · fi uskonkiihkoilija (zealous person) · da fanatiker (zealous person) · grc ζηλωτής (zealous person) · he קַנַּאי (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · es zelote (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · pt fanático (zealous person) · ja 狂信者 (zealous person) · fi kiihkoilija (zealous person) · de Zelot (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · fi selootti (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · sl fanatik (zealous person) · sv fanatiker (zealous person) · et fanaatik (zealous person) · fa فناتیک (zealous person) · lad fanátiko (zealous person) · io zelanto (zealous person) · nl zeloot (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · ar غَيُور (zealous person) · cs horlivec (zealous person) · be фана́тык (zealous person) · ko 열광자 (zealous person) · sh fanàtik (zealous person) · tg мутаассиб (zealous person) · ru зило́т (member of the anti-aristocratic group in Thessalonica) · ru фанати́чка (zealous person) · cs fanatička (zealous person) · hi कट्टरपंथी (zealous person) · sv selot (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · gl fanático (zealous person) · de Fanatiker (zealous person) · az təəssübkeş (zealous person) · be фанаты́чка (zealous person) · sk fanatik (zealous person) · ka ფანატიკოსი (zealous person) · sl fanatičarka (zealous person) · fi intoilija (zealous person) · lad פֿאנאטיקו (zealous person) · ja 熱狂者 (zealous person) · pl zelota (zealous person) · mi Heroti (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · gl celote (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · bg фанати́к (zealous person) · cmn 奮銳黨 /奋锐党 (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · es zelota (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · ru зело́т (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · nn fanatikar (zealous person) · ar مُتَحَمِّس (zealous person) · sh фана̀тик (zealous person) · fi hihhuli (zealous person) · pt zeloso (zealous person) · nl fanaat (zealous person) · hu zelóta (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · cmn 狂熱分子 /狂热分子 (zealous person) · it fanatico (zealous person) · es zelota (zealous person) · pl fanatyk (zealous person) · it zelota (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · nl fanatiekeling (zealous person) · pl fanatyczka (zealous person) · uz fanatik (zealous person) · de Zelot (zealous person) · ee fanaatik (zealous person) · uk фанати́чка (zealous person) · bg фанати́чка (zealous person) · cs fanatik (zealous person) · ar مُتَعَصِّب (zealous person) · io zelozo (zealous person) · sk fanatička (zealous person) · eo fervorulo (zealous person) · pl zelant (zealous person) · fr fanatique (zealous person) · yi פֿאַנאַטיקער (zealous person) · mk фанатик (zealous person) · fr zélote (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · uz mutaassib (zealous person) · he קַנַּאי (zealous person) · eo zeloto (zealous person) · grc Ζηλωτής (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · ko 광신자 (zealous person) · ga díograiseoir (zealous person) · nb fanatiker (zealous person) · uk фана́тик (zealous person) · ka ფანატიკური მიმდევარი (zealous person) · bg зилот (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · ru фана́тик (zealous person) · pl zelota (member of the Zealot movement in Judea) · es zelote (zealous person) · de Eiferer (zealous person)