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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

zealot

/ˈzɛlət/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:57
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What does zealot mean?

noun

  1. One who is zealous, one who is full of zeal for their own specific beliefs or objectives, usually in the negative sense of being too passionate; a fanatic.
  2. Alternative letter-case form of zealot.
More meanings (2)

noun

  1. (historical) A member of a radical, warlike, ardently patriotic group of Jews in Judea, particularly prominent in the first century, who advocated the violent overthrow of Roman rule and vigorously resisted the efforts of the Romans and their supporters to convert the Jews.
  2. (historical) A member of an anti-aristocratic political group in Thessalonica from 1342 until 1350.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈzɛlət/

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Other dictionary pronunciations

/ˈzilət/
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

To Lucas, the religious zealot, the co-operative commonwealth was the New Jerusalem, the kingdom of Heaven, which is “within you.”
Upton SinclairThe JungleProject Gutenberg ebook #140
Newman eyed his interlocutress and satisfied himself that she was not a gossip, but a zealot; she looked anxious, appealing, discreet.
Henry JamesThe AmericanProject Gutenberg ebook #177
More book examples (2)
Sadly enough for the Church and humanity, he was simply a zealot and intriguer: he perfected the plan for entrapping the great astronomer.
Andrew Dickson WhiteHistory of the Warfare of Science with Theology in ChristendomProject Gutenberg ebook #505
Keen and dispassionate, with a genius for mercilessly cutting to the marrow of a proposition, Hall has at the same time been a zealot for the improvement and extension of telephone service.
Herbert Newton CassonThe History of the TelephoneProject Gutenberg ebook #819