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 — 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… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
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 — [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