enthusiasm
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a strong feeling of excitement and interest in an activity or subject.
the quality of being eager and showing strong interest or approval. Uncountable in this general sense.
Simple“The students showed great enthusiasm for the new science project.”
In context“Despite the initial setbacks, the team maintained their enthusiasm for the project, eventually securing the funding they needed.”
PitfallHe has a lot of enthusiasm to his work. He has a lot of enthusiasm for his work.Use the preposition 'for' to show what someone is enthusiastic about.
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a specific activity or subject that you are very interested in.
a particular subject or activity that inspires intense interest. Countable in this sense.
Simple“One of his main enthusiasms is collecting old vinyl records.”
In context“Her academic enthusiasms were varied, ranging from medieval architecture to modern particle physics.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a historical word for feeling like a god is controlling your mind or spirit.
a historical or literary sense referring to divine inspiration or a state of religious frenzy.
Simple“The old books described the prophet's speech as a product of divine enthusiasm.”
In context“In eighteenth-century discourse, the term 'enthusiasm' often carried a negative connotation, suggesting a dangerous and irrational religious delusion.”
Synonyms
“He’s he’s full of ideas … we need people like him because he’s full of energy and enthusiasm,” he told ABC’s Radio National on Friday.”
“I have enjoyed it so much that I went back to the rest of the game with new enthusiasm for attracting new Pokémon and rebuilding the ruined planet that humans left behind for them.”
First attested from 1603, from Middle French enthousiasme, from Late Latin enthusiasmus, from Ancient Greek ἐνθουσιασμός (enthousiasmós), from ἐν (en, “in”) + θεός (theós, “god”) + οὐσία (ousía, “essence”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.