Meanings
present singular third person enthuses · participle present enthusing · participle past enthused · past enthused
- colloquialintransitiveTo show enthusiasm.
a splendid performance, and I was enthusing over it
1970, Julian Huxley, Memories1 more example
“And, Fay, you never feel confined to Swannekke Island, at all?” “Swannekke? It’s paradise!” enthuses the publicist. “Buenas Yerbas only an hour away, L.A. down the coast, my family up in San Francisco, it’s ideal. Subsidized stores and utilities, free clinic, clean air, zero crime, sea views. [...]”
2004, David Mitchell, “Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery”, in Cloud Atlas, →ISBN, page 130 - humorousproscribedsometimesTo cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm or to be enthusiastic.
The novelty of the film enthused the audience.
1 more example
One of the museum's greatest strengths is its focus on educating and enthusing children from an early age, and it's something that Mullins is especially proud of.
2020 June 3, Sam Mullins OBE discusses with Stefanie Foster, “LTM: a new chapter begins at 40”, in Rail, page 54
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Ancient Greekἔνθεος“possessed by a god”
- Englishenthuse
First attested from 1827. Back-formation from enthusiasm, from Ancient Greek ἔνθεος (éntheos, “possessed by a god”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + θεός (theós, “god”)
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian ентусиазирам, ентусиазирам се
- ентусиазирам (entusiaziram)to cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
- ентусиазирам се (entusiaziram se)to feel enthusiasm
Catalan entusiasmar
- entusiasmarto cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
Czech nadchnout
- nadchnoutto cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
Dutch enthousiasmeren
- enthousiasmerento cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
Esperanto entuziasmigi
- entuziasmigito cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
Finnish innostaa, olla innoissaan
- innostaato cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
- olla innoissaanto feel enthusiasm
French enthousiasmer
- enthousiasmerto cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
German begeistern, begeistern
- begeisternto cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
- begeisternto feel enthusiasm
Hungarian lelkesít, lelkesedik
- lelkesítto cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
- lelkesedikto feel enthusiasm
Irish spreag
- spreagto cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
Italian entusiasmare
- entusiasmareto cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
Māori whakamāhanahana, kohara
- whakamāhanahanato cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
- koharato cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
- koharato feel enthusiasm
Portuguese entusiasmar
- entusiasmarto cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
Russian вызывать энтузиазм, проявля́ть энтузиа́зм
- вызывать энтузиазм (vyzyvatʹ entuziazm)to cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
- проявля́ть энтузиа́зм (projavljátʹ entuziázm)to feel enthusiasm
Spanish entusiasmar, entusiasmarse
- entusiasmarto cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
- entusiasmarseto feel enthusiasm
Swedish entusiasmera
- entusiasmerato cause (someone) to feel enthusiasm
Ukrainian захоплюватися, захопитися
- захоплюватися (zaxopljuvatysja)to feel enthusiasm
- захопитися (zaxopytysja)to feel enthusiasm
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with enthuse
Anagrams
Cite this entry
enthuse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enthuse
“enthuse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enthuse. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enthuse,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enthuse.
Source: enthuse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.