zeal

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Madame de Maintenon grew angry, and all he obtained for his zeal was her anger.

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Definitions (9)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. noun Enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance. See Synonyms at passion.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (3)

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Examples (50)

  • As early as 1615, it is true, Pere Caron, a Recollet, had penetrated to the Huron land, and, during the succeeding years, he and his religious brethren had laboured at intervals for the conversion of its inhabitants, but although their zeal was ardent, their success had been only very partial. —  The Life of the Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation
  • What added to his zeal was his wish to gratify base feelings of revenge on those who had thrust him out of his Bishopric of Beauvais, and on her without whose deeds he might have still been living in security in his palatial home there. —  Joan of Arc
  • On the general question, however, of the misgovernment of Ireland, and the disabilities of the Catholics, as forming its most prominent feature, his zeal was always forthcoming and ardent,—and never more so than during the present Session, when, on the question of the Irish Arms Bill, and his own motion upon the State of Ireland, he distinguished himself by an animation and vigor worthy of the best period of his eloquence. —  Memoirs of the Life of Rt. Hon. Richard Brinsley Sheridan Vol 2
  • I find where the word zeal is taken in a bad sense it hath these works of darkness attending it, wrath, strife, malice, &c.; Gal. —  The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning
  • Like enough his zeal will be the needful spur to my flagging spirit They had been wandering through the spacious mansion as they talked, but so absorbed were they in the conversation that the changes in the arrangement of the ancient heirlooms of the once illustrious house of Ripon made but little impression upon Lord Brompton. —  The King's Men A Tale of To-morrow
 

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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English zele, from Old French zel, from Late Latin zēlus, from Greek zēlos.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Early modern English zele; from Old French zele, French zèle = Spanish Portuguese Italian zelo, from Latin zelus, from Greek ζῆλος, zeal (for *ζεσλος), from ζέειν (√ ζεσ, boil, akin to English yeast: see yeast.
  2. from zeal, n.
 

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/zil/
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