- Today's Word
Zealous
[ZEL-us]
Definition
- (adjective) Someone who is intensely eager, passionate, or diligent in pursuing a cause, ideal, or goal. It refers to having great energy, enthusiasm, and dedication, sometimes to the point of being fervent or extreme in their commitment.
Example
The zealous environmental activist spent every weekend organizing beach cleanups and educating locals about marine conservation, never tiring in her mission to protect ocean life.
Fun Fact
“Zealous” comes from the Latin “zelosus,” derived from the Greek “zēlos” meaning “ardor, jealousy, or fierce rivalry.” The term’s historical significance traces back to the ancient Zealots, a Jewish sect that fiercely opposed Roman rule in Judea during the 1st century CE. Their name became synonymous with passionate dedication to a cause. In medieval times, being “zealous” was considered both a virtue and a potential vice – religious authorities praised “zealous devotion” but warned against “excessive zeal” that could lead to fanaticism. Interestingly, in early American law, the concept of a “zealous defense” became a fundamental principle of legal ethics, requiring attorneys to represent their clients with passionate dedication. This legal usage helped reshape the word’s connotation from potentially negative (suggesting fanaticism) to more positive (indicating admirable dedication). The word’s evolution reflects the ongoing tension between commitment and excess, making it a nuanced term for describing intense dedication.
(noun) The state of having a damaged or lost reputation; being held in low regard by others or by the public.
The firm’s disrepute spread faster than any press release could contain — three clients left before the week was out.
Disrepute combines the prefix dis- meaning “away” or “reversal” with repute, from the Latin reputare — “to reckon” or “to think over” — built from re- (“again”) and putare (“to think” or “to reckon”). Repute entered English in the 15th century meaning the general opinion held of someone; disrepute followed as its logical opposite, describing the condition of having that opinion turn decisively negative.