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In the 1st century A.D., a fanatical sect arose in Judaea to oppose the Roman domination of Palestine. Known as the Zealots, they fought their most famous battle at the great fortress of Masada, where 1,000 defenders took their own lives just as the Romans were about to storm the fort. Over the years, zealot came to mean anyone who is passionately devoted to a cause. The adjective zealous may describe someone who's merely dedicated and energetic ("a zealous investigator", "zealous about combating inflation", etc.). But zealot (like its synonym fanatic) and zealotry (like its synonym fanaticism) are used disapprovingly—even while Jews everywhere still honor the memory of those who died at Masada.
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Examples of zealot in a Sentence
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2025
The war is being run by zealots who will measure their success by the sheer number of people deported.
—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2025
In this wintry offering, two strangers break into a house to escape a Christmas blizzard and encounter an overprotective mother and otherworldly daughter who give Stephen King’s Carrie and her zealot mom a run for their money.
—Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
As much or more than anyone else, tech zealots who made their fortunes in the industry have to answer for our political climate of brazen corruption and cheap, viral, reactionary hate.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near zealot
Cite this Entry
“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zealot. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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zealot
noun
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