zeal Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
    ardor; elan; ardour.
    • they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor
    • he felt a kind of religious zeal
  2. noun excessive fervor to do something or accomplish some end
    • he had an absolute zeal for litigation
  3. noun prompt willingness
    readiness; eagerness; forwardness.
    • readiness to continue discussions
    • they showed no eagerness to spread the gospel
    • they disliked his zeal in demonstrating his superiority
    • he tried to explain his forwardness in battle

WordNet

Zeal noun
Etymology
F. zèle; cf. Pg. & It. zelo, Sp. zelo, celo; from L. zelus, Gr. , probably akin to to boil. Cf. Yeast, Jealous.
Definitions
  1. Passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything; eagerness in favor of a person or cause; ardent and active interest; engagedness; enthusiasm; fervor. "Ambition varnished o'er with zeal." Milton. "Zeal, the blind conductor of the will." Dryden. "Zeal's never-dying fire." Keble.
    I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Rom. x. 2.
    A zeal for liberty is sometimes an eagerness to subvert with little care what shall be established. Johnson.
  2. A zealot. Obs. B. Jonson.
Zeal intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To be zealous. Obs. & R. Bacon.

Webster 1913