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Zealous vs Alacrity - What's the difference?

zealous | alacrity |

As an adjective zealous

is full of zeal; ardent, fervent; exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion.

As a noun alacrity is

eagerness; liveliness; enthusiasm.

zealous

English

Alternative forms

* zelous

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Full of zeal; ardent, fervent; exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion.
  • * 1791 , , volume 1, page 238:
  • Johnson was truly zealous for the success of "The Adventurer;" and very soon after his engaging in it, he wrote the following letter:
  • * 1896 , , A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom (2004 edition), page 122:
  • Doubtless many will exclaim against the Roman Catholic Church for this; but the simple truth is that Protestantism was no less zealous against the new scientific doctrine.
  • * 1940 , Foster Rhea Dulles, America Learns to Play: A history of popular recreation, 1607-1940 , page 61:
  • and there were few more zealous dancers at the fashionable balls in the Raleigh Tavern at Williamsburg.
  • * 2011 April 4, " Newt Gingrich," Time (retrieved 9 Sept 2013):
  • Newt Gingrich . . . left Congress in 1998, following GOP midterm-election losses that many blamed on his zealous pursuit of Bill Clinton's impeachment.

    Synonyms

    * (full of zeal) ardent, eager, enthusiastic, fervent, passionate, zealotic

    Antonyms

    * (full of zeal) apathetic, dispassionate, indifferent, unenthusiastic

    Derived terms

    * overzealous * zealously * zealousness

    alacrity

    English

    Noun

    (alacrities)
  • Eagerness; liveliness; enthusiasm.
  • * 1837 , , The Pickwick Papers , ch. 12:
  • "I'll get into the clothes this minute, if they're here," said Sam, with great alacrity .
  • * 1922 , , The Glimpses of the Moon , ch. 24:
  • This evening, however, he was struck by the beaming alacrity of the aide-de-camp's greeting.
  • Promptness; speed.
  • * 1849 , , "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience":
  • Yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way.
  • * 1902 , , Heart of Darkness , Part 1:
  • He had a uniform jacket with one button off, and seeing a white man on the path, hoisted his weapon to his shoulder with alacrity .

    Synonyms

    * (eagerness) avidity, eagerness, enthusiasm, willingness * (promptness) briskness, celerity, haste, promptness, quickness, swiftness

    Antonyms

    * (eagerness) apathy, disinclination, hesitance, indifference, reluctance

    References