fanatic

F4A1N1A1T1I1C3
/fəˈnæt.ɪk/obsolete/ˈfæ.nət.ɪk/Multicultural London English/fəˈnaʔɪk/

adjective

Fanatical.

“A fanatic is one who redoubles his effort when he has forgotten his aim. —George Santayana”

Similar
freakfanaticaloverzealousrabidpassionatefiend
OriginFrench fanatiqueinflu. ← Latin fānāticu ← Proto-Italic *faznom →
Less commonScrabble 12
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Word of the Day · Nov 18, 2025

Meanings

adjectivefanatic (comparative more fanatic, superlative most fanatic)

comparative more fanatic · superlative most fanatic · alternative obsolete fanatick

  1. Fanatical.

    But Faith, fanatic Faith, once wedded fast / To some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last.

    1817, Thomas Moore, Lalla Rookh […] , London: Longman […]
  2. obsoleteShowing evidence of possession by a god or demon; frenzied, overzealous.
nounfanatic (plural fanatics)

plural fanatics · alternative obsolete fanatick

  1. A person who is zealously enthusiastic for some cause.

    A fanatic is one who redoubles his effort when he has forgotten his aim. —George Santayana

    2 more examples

    The reclusive tycoon calling himself the Illusive Man is a human nationalist focused on advancing human interests, whatever the cost to non-humans. The Citadel Council regards him as a fanatic posing a serious threat to galactic security.

    2010, BioWare, Mass Effect 2 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Cerberus: The Illusive Man Codex entry

    A zealot can't change his mind. A fanatic can't change his mind and won't change the subject. —Winston Churchill (attributed)

    Synonyms: freak

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA person who is zealously enthusiastic for some cause.

Similar
freak

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivemarked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea

Similar
fanaticaloverzealousrabidpassionate

nouna person motivated by irrational enthusiasm (as for a cause)

Similar
fiend
Broader
enthusiastpartisanpartizan
Also see
aficionadoavidbigbuffenthusiasticfanfanaticalfancyferventfiendfreakintoxicatejazzedjuicedmonomaniacoverzealouspsychedrabidtrashzealotzestful

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰéh₁s
  3. Proto-Italic*faznom
  4. Latinfānum
  5. Latinfānāticu
  6. Frenchfanatiqueinflu.
  7. Englishfanatic

First attested in 1525. Learned borrowing from Latin fānāticus (“of a temple, divinely inspired, frenzied”), from fānum (“temple”). Influenced by French fanatique.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans fanatikus
  • fanatikusfanatical
Arabic مُتَعَصِّب, مُتَعَصِّب
  • مُتَعَصِّب (mutaʕaṣṣib)fanatical
  • مُتَعَصِّب (mutaʕaṣṣib)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • غَيُور (ḡayūr)one who is zealously enthusiastic
Bulgarian фанати́чен, фанати́к
  • фанати́чен (fanatíčen)fanatical
  • фанати́к (fanatík)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • фанати́чка (fanatíčka)one who is zealously enthusiastic
Catalan fanàtic, fanàtic
  • fanàticfanatical
  • fanàticone who is zealously enthusiastic
Chinese Mandarin 狂熱分子 /狂热分子, 擁躉 /拥趸
  • 狂熱分子 /狂热分子 (kuángrè fēnzǐ)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • 擁躉 /拥趸 (yōngdǔn)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • 狂信徒 (kuángxìntú)one who is zealously enthusiastic
Czech fanatik, fanatička
  • fanatikone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • fanatičkaone who is zealously enthusiastic
Danish fanatisk, fanatiker
  • fanatiskfanatical
  • fanatikerone who is zealously enthusiastic
Dutch fanatiek, fanaat
  • fanatiekfanatical
  • fanaatone who is zealously enthusiastic
Esperanto fanatika, fanatikulo
  • fanatikafanatical
  • fanatikuloone who is zealously enthusiastic
Estonian fanaatiline, fanaatik
  • fanaatilinefanatical
  • fanaatikone who is zealously enthusiastic
Finnish kiihkomielinen, fanaattinen
  • kiihkomielinenfanatical
  • fanaattinenfanatical
  • kiihkeäfanatical
  • kiihkoilijaone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • fanaatikkoone who is zealously enthusiastic
French fanatique, fanatique
  • fanatiquefanatical
  • fanatiqueone who is zealously enthusiastic
German fanatisch, Fanatiker
  • fanatischfanatical
  • Fanatikerone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • Fanatikerinone who is zealously enthusiastic
Greek φανατικός
  • φανατικός (fanatikós)fanatical
Hungarian fanatikus, fanatikus
  • fanatikusfanatical
  • fanatikusone who is zealously enthusiastic
Italian fanatico, maniaco
  • fanaticofanatical
  • maniacofanatical
  • patitofanatical
  • seguacefanatical
  • fanaticoone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • fanaticaone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • patitoone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • patitaone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • maniacoone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • maniacaone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • seguaceone who is zealously enthusiastic
Japanese ファナーティック, 狂信者
  • ファナーティック (fanātikku)fanatical
  • 狂信者 (kyōshinsha)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • 熱狂者 (netsukyōsha)one who is zealously enthusiastic
Korean 광신자, 열광자
  • 광신자 (gwangsinja)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • 열광자 (yeolgwangja)one who is zealously enthusiastic
Latvian fanātisks, fanātiķis
  • fanātisksfanatical
  • fanātiķisone who is zealously enthusiastic
Lithuanian fanatiškas, fanatikas
  • fanatiškasfanatical
  • fanatikasone who is zealously enthusiastic
Māori manawawera, ngākau whiwhita
  • manawawerafanatical
  • ngākau whiwhitafanatical
Norwegian Bokmål fanatiker
  • fanatikerone who is zealously enthusiastic
Persian فناتیک, متعصب
  • فناتیک (fanâtik)fanatical
  • متعصب (mota'asseb)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • فناتیک (fanâtik)one who is zealously enthusiastic
Polish fanatyczny, nawiedzony
  • fanatycznyfanatical
  • nawiedzonyshowing evidence of possession by a god or demon
  • opętanyshowing evidence of possession by a god or demon
  • fanatykone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • fanatyczkaone who is zealously enthusiastic
Portuguese fanático, fanático
  • fanáticofanatical
  • fanáticoone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • fanáticaone who is zealously enthusiastic
Russian фанати́чный, одержи́мый
  • фанати́чный (fanatíčnyj)fanatical
  • одержи́мый (oderžímyj)showing evidence of possession by a god or demon
  • фана́тик (fanátik)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • фанати́чка (fanatíčka)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • изувер (izuver)one who is zealously enthusiastic
Slovak fanatický, fanatik
  • fanatickýfanatical
  • fanatikone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • fanatičkaone who is zealously enthusiastic
Spanish fanático, fanático
  • fanáticofanatical
  • fanáticoone who is zealously enthusiastic
Swedish fanatisk, fanatiker
  • fanatiskfanatical
  • fanatikerone who is zealously enthusiastic
Tamil வெறியன்
  • வெறியன் (veṟiyaṉ)one who is zealously enthusiastic
Turkish bağnaz, fanatik
  • bağnazfanatical
  • fanatikfanatical
  • mutaassıpone who is zealously enthusiastic
  • fanatikone who is zealously enthusiastic
Ukrainian фанати́чний, фана́тик
  • фанати́чний (fanatýčnyj)fanatical
  • фана́тик (fanátyk)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • фанати́чка (fanatýčka)one who is zealously enthusiastic
  • бузуві́р (buzuvír)one who is zealously enthusiastic

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with fanatic

staticautomaticdemocraticsystematicatticthematicschematicaromatichepaticbureaucraticerraticlymphaticchromaticasymptomaticrheumaticidiosyncratickinematicaristocraticadiabaticemphaticasthmaticaxiomaticprismaticpsychosomatic
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

phoneticphenetic (only in certain topolects with the met–mat merger)phoneticphenetic (only in certain topolects with the met–mat merger)

Anagrams

actifan
Cite this entry
APA

fanatic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fanatic

MLA

“fanatic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fanatic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fanatic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fanatic.

Source: fanatic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.