Meanings
zealot1
plural zealots · alternative historical Zealot
- 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 305–306Synonyms: enthusiast, fanatic
- JudaismhistoricalA 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.
- historicalA member of an anti-aristocratic political group in Thessalonica from 1342 until 1350.
Zealot2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne 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.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna fervent and even militant proponent of something
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekζηλωτής“emulator, zealous admirer, follower”
- Latinzēlōtēs
- Middle Englishzelote
- Englishzealot
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”).
More words from Middle English, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ζηλωτής, Ζηλωτής
- ζηλωτής (zēlōtḗs)zealous person
- Ζηλωτής (Zēlōtḗs)member of the Zealot movement in Judea
Arabic غَيُور, مُتَحَمِّس
- غَيُور (ḡayūr)zealous person
- مُتَحَمِّس (mutaḥammis)zealous person
- مُتَعَصِّب (mutaʕaṣṣib)zealous person
Bulgarian фанати́к, фанати́чка
- фанати́к (fanatík)zealous person
- фанати́чка (fanatíčka)zealous person
- зилот (zilot)member of the Zealot movement in Judea
Chinese Mandarin 狂熱分子 /狂热分子, 奮銳黨 /奋锐党
- 狂熱分子 /狂热分子 (kuángrè fēnzǐ)zealous person
- 奮銳黨 /奋锐党 (fènruìdǎng)member of the Zealot movement in Judea
Czech horlivec, fanatik
- horliveczealous person
- fanatikzealous person
- fanatičkazealous person
Danish fanatiker
- fanatikerzealous person
Dutch fanatiekeling, fanaat
- fanatiekelingzealous person
- fanaatzealous person
- zelootmember of the Zealot movement in Judea
Esperanto zeloto, fervorulo
- zelotozealous person
- fervorulozealous person
Estonian fanaatik
- fanaatikzealous person
Finnish hihhuli, uskonkiihkoilija
- hihhulizealous person
- uskonkiihkoilijazealous person
- kiihkoilijazealous person
- intoilijazealous person
- seloottimember of the Zealot movement in Judea
French fanatique, zélote
- fanatiquezealous person
- zélotemember of the Zealot movement in Judea
German Eiferer, Fanatiker
- Eifererzealous person
- Fanatikerzealous person
- Zelotzealous person
- Zelotmember of the Zealot movement in Judea
Hebrew קַנַּאי, קַנַּאי
- קַנַּאי (kanáy)zealous person
- קַנַּאי (kanáy)member of the Zealot movement in Judea
Hindi कट्टरपंथी
- कट्टरपंथी (kaṭṭarpanthī)zealous person
Hungarian zelóta
- zelótamember of the Zealot movement in Judea
Irish díograiseoir
- díograiseoirzealous person
Italian fanatico, zelota
- fanaticozealous person
- zelotamember of the Zealot movement in Judea
Japanese 狂信者, 熱狂者
- 狂信者 (kyōshinsha)zealous person
- 熱狂者 (netsukyōsha)zealous person
Korean 광신자, 열광자
- 광신자 (gwangsinja)zealous person
- 열광자 (yeolgwangja)zealous person
Māori Heroti
- Herotimember of the Zealot movement in Judea
Norwegian Bokmål fanatiker
- fanatikerzealous person
Persian متعصب, فناتیک
- متعصب (mota'asseb)zealous person
- فناتیک (fanâtik)zealous person
Polish zelant, zelota
- zelantzealous person
- zelotazealous person
- fanatykzealous person
- fanatyczkazealous person
- zelotamember of the Zealot movement in Judea
Portuguese zeloso, fanático
- zelosozealous person
- fanáticozealous person
Russian фана́тик, фанати́чка
- фана́тик (fanátik)zealous person
- фанати́чка (fanatíčka)zealous person
- зело́т (zelót)member of the Zealot movement in Judea
- зило́т (zilót)member of the anti-aristocratic group in Thessalonica
Slovak fanatik, fanatička
- fanatikzealous person
- fanatičkazealous person
Spanish zelote, zelota
- zelotezealous person
- zelotazealous person
- zelotamember of the Zealot movement in Judea
- zelotemember of the Zealot movement in Judea
Swedish fanatiker, selot
- fanatikerzealous person
- selotmember of the Zealot movement in Judea
Ukrainian фана́тик, фанати́чка
- фана́тик (fanátyk)zealous person
- фанати́чка (fanatýčka)zealous person
Yiddish פֿאַנאַטיקער
- פֿאַנאַטיקער (fanatiker)zealous person
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with zealot
Cite this entry
zealot. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zealot
“zealot.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zealot. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zealot,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zealot.
Source: zealot on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.