Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm 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 revelation, or of being directly subject to some divine impulse. [1913 Webster]

Enthusiasm is founded neither on reason nor divine revelation, but rises from the conceits of a warmed or overweening imagination. --Locke. [1913 Webster]

2. A state of impassioned emotion; transport; elevation of fancy; exaltation of soul; as, the poetry of enthusiasm. [1913 Webster]

Resolutions adopted in enthusiasm are often repented of when excitement has been succeeded by the wearing duties of hard everyday routine. --Froude. [1913 Webster]

Exhibiting the seeming contradiction of susceptibility to enthusiasm and calculating shrewdness. --Bancroft. [1913 Webster]

3. Enkindled and kindling fervor of soul; strong excitement of feeling on behalf of a cause or a subject; ardent and imaginative zeal or interest; as, he engaged in his profession with enthusiasm. [1913 Webster]

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. --Emerson. [1913 Webster]

4. Lively manifestation of joy or zeal. [1913 Webster]

Philip was greeted with a tumultuous enthusiasm. --Prescott. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Synonyms:
(from a belief of being inspired), , / , , , , , / ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Enthusiasm — ( 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… …   Wikipedia

  • enthusiasm — index ardor, compulsion (obsession), emotion, industry (activity), interest (concern), life …   Law dictionary

  • enthusiasm — 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… …   Etymology dictionary

  • enthusiasm — fervor, ardor, *passion, zeal Antonyms: apathy Contrasted words: impassivity, phlegm, stolidity (see under IMPASSIVE): unconcern, detachment, aloofness, indifference (see corresponding adjectives at INDIFFERENT) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • enthusiasm — [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,… …   New thesaurus

  • enthusiasm — ► 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 …   English terms dictionary

  • enthusiasm — [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.… …   English World dictionary

  • enthusiasm — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ burning, enormous, extraordinary, immense, passionate, tremendous ▪ considerable, great ▪ little …   Collocations dictionary

  • enthusiasm — 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 …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • enthusiasm — n. 1) to arouse, kindle, stir up enthusiasm 2) to demonstrate, display, show; radiate enthusiasm 3) to dampen smb. s enthusiasm 4) boundless, great, unbounded, unbridled, wild enthusiasm 5) enthusiasm for 6) the enthusiasm to + inf. (they had… …   Combinatory dictionary

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