zealot
zealot Lexical Profile
zealot Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.
"The committee struggled to reach a compromise because one member was an ideological zealot who refused to consider alternative viewpoints."
A member of an ancient Jewish sect inside Judea during the first century AD that fiercely resisted Roman rule and sought to expel the Romans from the region (usually capitalized).
"Historians have extensively documented the siege of Masada, where the last remaining Zealots held out against the Roman legions."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'zeal' and 'zealous' often carry a neutral or positive sense of passionate enthusiasm, 'zealot' is almost exclusively pejorative in modern usage, implying uncompromising dogmatism or fanaticism.
• Rhymes for zealot
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Late Latin 'zelotes' from Ancient Greek 'zelotes' (an emulator or zealous admirer), derived from 'zelos' (ardor or fervor). It originally referred in English to a member of a first-century Jewish movement that fought against Roman rule in Judea.