fanatic
/fə'nætik/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A person motivated by irrational enthusiasm (as for a cause): A fanatic is someone who shows extreme, uncritical zeal or devotion, often to a point considered unreasonable by others.
- A person with an obsessive interest in and enthusiasm for something: While often negative, it can also describe someone with an intense, all-consuming passion for a hobby or activity.
Adjective:
- Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea: Describes behavior or beliefs characterized by extreme, often unreasoning, fervor. The variant "fanatical" is more commonly used in this adjectival form.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- He was a religious fanatic who refused to tolerate other beliefs.
- She's a fitness fanatic, working out for two hours every single day.
Adjective:
- His fanatic devotion to the political movement blinded him to its flaws.
- They are fanatic about cleanliness, mopping the floors three times a day.
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a negative connotation, implying that the enthusiasm is irrational, extreme, or potentially dangerous.
- It can be used in a more neutral or even mildly positive sense in informal contexts to describe great enthusiasm (e.g., "a crossword fanatic"), though "enthusiast" is often a more neutral alternative.
Variants and Related Words
- Fanatical (Adjective): The more frequent adjectival form of "fanatic."
- She is a fanatical supporter of the team.
- Fanaticism (Noun): The quality of being fanatical; extreme, uncritical zeal.
- The conflict was fueled by religious fanaticism.
Synonyms
- Zealot: A person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.
- Enthusiast: A person who is highly interested in a particular activity or subject. (This is generally a more positive or neutral term.)
- Maniac: A person exhibiting extreme symptoms of wild behavior, especially violent aggression; or informally, a person with an extreme enthusiasm for something. (Stronger, more informal.)
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "Fanatic to the core": Completely and utterly fanatical.
- He was a nationalist, fanatic to the core.
- The quote by Winston Churchill is a well-known characterization: "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."
Adjective
- marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea
- rabid isolationist
Noun
- a person motivated by irrational enthusiasm (as for a cause)
- A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject--Winston Churchill