overzeal
Definition
Noun: Excessive or extreme enthusiasm, fervour, or eagerness, especially in support of a cause, belief, or activity. "Overzeal" describes a state of being overly zealous, often leading to actions that are too intense or pushy.
Usage Examples
- (His excessive enthusiasm for the project.)
- (The coach's extreme eagerness.)
- (Too much fervour.)
Advanced Usage
"Overzeal in pursuit of justice": excessive commitment to fairness that may ignore practical considerations.
- The lawyer's overzeal in the case resulted in a mistrial. (Her extreme enthusiasm for winning.)
"Mistake overzeal for dedication": confusing excessive eagerness with genuine commitment.
- They mistook his overzeal for dedication, not realizing he was burning out. (They confused excessive fervour with true loyalty.)
Variants and Related Words
Overzealous (adj): marked by excessive zeal or fervour.
- The overzealous fan tried to climb onto the stage. (The fan was too enthusiastic.)
Zeal (n): great energy or enthusiasm for a cause or objective.
- Her zeal for learning is admirable. (Her strong enthusiasm.)
Zealot (n): a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their ideals.
- He is a zealot for environmental causes. (A fanatic.)
Synonyms
- Fanaticism: excessive, irrational zeal.
- Fervour: intense and passionate feeling.
- Eagerness: keen interest or desire.
Related Idioms
"Too much of a good thing": excessive enthusiasm can become harmful.
- His overzeal was a case of too much of a good thing. (His excessive eagerness was problematic.)
"To go overboard": to do something to an extreme degree.
- She went overboard with her overzeal for the new diet. (She was excessively enthusiastic.)