Meanings
nounenthusiasm (countable and uncountable, plural enthusiasms)
plural enthusiasms
- countableuncountableAn intensity of feeling; an excited interest or eagerness.
Try to curb your enthusiasm.
2 more examples
They have a great enthusiasm for country music.
By the end of this period pupils are expected to be reading simple books independently and with enthusiasm.
1972, Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren, How to Read a Book, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 25Synonyms: spirit
- countableuncountableSomething in which one is keenly interested.
Other Adamsian enthusiasms included: fast cars; restaurants; Bach, the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Dire Straits; […]
2012, Nicholas Joll, Philosophy and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, page 231 more example
My main enthusiasm is attending and seeing the progress and interest of collectors, to meet old friends, and hopefully to make new friends.
1968, Central States Archaeological Journal, volumes 15-16, page 154 - countablehistoricalobsoleteuncountablePossession by a god; divine inspiration or frenzy.
The intoxication that they sought was that of ‘enthusiasm’, of union with the god.
1946, Bertrand Russell, chapter 1, in History of Western Philosophy
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn intensity of feeling; an excited interest or eagerness.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounoverflowing with eager enjoyment or approval
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐνθουσιασμός
- Late Latinenthusiasmus
- Middle Frenchenthousiasme
- Englishenthusiasm
First attested from 1603, from Middle French enthousiasme, from Late Latin enthusiasmus, from Ancient Greek ἐνθουσιασμός (enthousiasmós), from ἐν (en, “in”) + θεός (theós, “god”) + οὐσία (ousía, “essence”).
More words from Middle French, Late Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans entoesiasme
- entoesiasmefeeling of excited, lively interest
Ancient Greek προθυμία
- προθυμία (prothumía)feeling of excited, lively interest
Arabic حَمَاس, حَمَاسَة
- حَمَاس (ḥamās)feeling of excited, lively interest
- حَمَاسَة (ḥamāsa)feeling of excited, lively interest
Bulgarian въодушевле́ние, ентусиа́зъм
- въодушевле́ние (văoduševlénie)feeling of excited, lively interest
- ентусиа́зъм (entusiázăm)feeling of excited, lively interest
- възто́рг (văztórg)feeling of excited, lively interest
Catalan entusiasme
- entusiasmefeeling of excited, lively interest
Chinese Mandarin 熱情 /热情, 積極性 /积极性
- 熱情 /热情 (rèqíng)feeling of excited, lively interest
- 積極性 /积极性 (jījíxìng)feeling of excited, lively interest
Czech nadšení, entuziasmus
- nadšenífeeling of excited, lively interest
- entuziasmusfeeling of excited, lively interest
Danish entusiame
- entusiamefeeling of excited, lively interest
Dutch enthousiasme, geestdrift
- enthousiasmefeeling of excited, lively interest
- geestdriftfeeling of excited, lively interest
Esperanto entuziasmo
- entuziasmofeeling of excited, lively interest
Estonian entusiasm
- entusiasmfeeling of excited, lively interest
Finnish innostus, into
- innostusfeeling of excited, lively interest
- intofeeling of excited, lively interest
- innokkuusfeeling of excited, lively interest
- hanakkuusfeeling of excited, lively interest
- vimmafeeling of excited, lively interest
French enthousiasme, passion
- enthousiasmefeeling of excited, lively interest
- passionfeeling of excited, lively interest
- enthousiasme(obsolete or historical) possession by a god; divine inspiration
German Begeisterung, Enthusiasmus
- Begeisterungfeeling of excited, lively interest
- Enthusiasmusfeeling of excited, lively interest
- Schwärmereifeeling of excited, lively interest
Greek ενθουσιασμός
- ενθουσιασμός (enthousiasmós)feeling of excited, lively interest
Hebrew הִתְלַהֲבוּת, הִתְפַּעֲלוּת
- הִתְלַהֲבוּת (hitlahavút)feeling of excited, lively interest
- הִתְפַּעֲלוּת (hitpaalút)feeling of excited, lively interest
Hindi जोश, उत्साह
- जोश (joś)feeling of excited, lively interest
- उत्साह (utsāh)feeling of excited, lively interest
Hungarian lelkesedés
- lelkesedésfeeling of excited, lively interest
Icelandic ákafi, eldmóður
- ákafifeeling of excited, lively interest
- eldmóðurfeeling of excited, lively interest
Italian entusiasmo, foga
- entusiasmofeeling of excited, lively interest
- fogafeeling of excited, lively interest
Japanese 情熱, 熱意
- 情熱 (jōnetsu)feeling of excited, lively interest
- 熱意 (netsui)feeling of excited, lively interest
- 意気込み (ikigomi)feeling of excited, lively interest
- 気勢 (kisei)feeling of excited, lively interest
- 熱情 (netsujō)feeling of excited, lively interest
Korean 열광, 열정
- 열광 (yeolgwang)feeling of excited, lively interest
- 열정 (yeoljeong)feeling of excited, lively interest
- 열의 (yeorui)feeling of excited, lively interest
Latin studium
- studiumfeeling of excited, lively interest
Latvian entuziasms
- entuziasmsfeeling of excited, lively interest
Lithuanian entuziazmas
- entuziazmasfeeling of excited, lively interest
Māori koharatanga, ngākau whakapuke
- koharatangafeeling of excited, lively interest
- ngākau whakapukefeeling of excited, lively interest
Norwegian Bokmål entusiasme, begeistring
- entusiasmefeeling of excited, lively interest
- begeistringfeeling of excited, lively interest
Polish entuzjazm
- entuzjazmfeeling of excited, lively interest
Portuguese entusiasmo
- entusiasmofeeling of excited, lively interest
Romanian entuziasm
- entuziasmfeeling of excited, lively interest
Russian энтузиа́зм, воодушевле́ние
- энтузиа́зм (entuziázm)feeling of excited, lively interest
- воодушевле́ние (vooduševlénije)feeling of excited, lively interest
- запа́л (zapál)feeling of excited, lively interest
- восто́рг (vostórg)feeling of excited, lively interest
Scottish Gaelic eud
- eudfeeling of excited, lively interest
Slovak nadšenie, entuziazmus
- nadšeniefeeling of excited, lively interest
- entuziazmusfeeling of excited, lively interest
Spanish entusiasmo
- entusiasmofeeling of excited, lively interest
Swedish entusiasm
- entusiasmfeeling of excited, lively interest
Tagalog entusyasmo
- entusyasmofeeling of excited, lively interest
Tamil உத்வேகம்
- உத்வேகம் (utvēkam)feeling of excited, lively interest
Turkish heves, şevk
- hevesfeeling of excited, lively interest
- şevkfeeling of excited, lively interest
- coşkufeeling of excited, lively interest
Ukrainian ентузіа́зм, запа́л
- ентузіа́зм (entuziázm)feeling of excited, lively interest
- запа́л (zapál)feeling of excited, lively interest
- запа́лення (zapálennja)feeling of excited, lively interest
Vietnamese sự hăng hái, sự nhiệt tình
- sự hăng háifeeling of excited, lively interest
- sự nhiệt tìnhfeeling of excited, lively interest
Yiddish בעגייסטערונג
- בעגייסטערונג (begaysterung)feeling of excited, lively interest
Cite this entry
APA
enthusiasm. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enthusiasm
MLA
“enthusiasm.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enthusiasm. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enthusiasm,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enthusiasm.
Source: enthusiasm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.