Enthusiasm
1Enthusiasm — ( gr. ἐνθουσιασμός enthousiasmos ) originally meant inspiration or possession by a divine afflatus or by the presence of a god. Johnson s Dictionary, the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language, defines enthusiasm as a vain belief… …
2Enthusiasm — En*thu si*asm, n. [Gr. ?, fr. ? to be inspired or possessed by the god, fr. ?, ?, inspired: cf. enthousiasme. See {Entheal}, {Theism}.] 1. Inspiration as if by a divine or superhuman power; ecstasy; hence, a conceit of divine possession and… …
3enthusiasm — index ardor, compulsion (obsession), emotion, industry (activity), interest (concern), life …
4enthusiasm — c.1600, from M.Fr. enthousiasme (16c.) and directly from L.L. enthusiasmus, from Gk. enthousiasmos divine inspiration, from enthousiazein be inspired or possessed by a god, be rapt, be in ecstasy, from entheos divinely inspired, possessed by a… …
5enthusiasm — fervor, ardor, *passion, zeal Antonyms: apathy Contrasted words: impassivity, phlegm, stolidity (see under IMPASSIVE): unconcern, detachment, aloofness, indifference (see corresponding adjectives at INDIFFERENT) …
6enthusiasm — [n] keen interest, excitement activity, ardency, ardor, avidity, conviction, craze, dash, devotion, eagerness, earnestness, ecstasy, élan, emotion, energy, exhilaration, fad, fanaticism, feeling, fervor, fever, fieriness, fire, flame, flare,… …
7enthusiasm — ► NOUN 1) intense enjoyment, interest, or approval. 2) an object of such feelings. 3) archaic, derogatory religious fervour supposedly resulting directly from divine inspiration. ORIGIN Greek enthousiasmos, from enthous possessed by a god …
8enthusiasm — [en tho͞o′zē az΄əm, enthyo͞o′zē az΄əm; intho͞o′zē az΄əm, inthyo͞o′zē azəm] n. [Gr enthousiasmos < enthousiazein, to be inspired, be possessed by a god, inspire < enthous, entheos, possessed by a god < en , in + theos, god: see THEO ] 1.… …
9enthusiasm — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ burning, enormous, extraordinary, immense, passionate, tremendous ▪ considerable, great ▪ little …
10enthusiasm — en|thu|si|as|m W3 [ınˈθju:ziæzəm US ınˈθu: ] n [Date: 1500 1600; : Greek; Origin: enthousiasmos, from entheos filled (by a god) with sudden strong abilities , from theos god ] 1.) [U] a strong feeling of interest and enjoyment about something and …
