Pronunciation guide

How to pronounce zealous

ZEL-us - two syllables, stress on the 1st; 'zea-' is a short 'e', not 'ee'

US/ˈzɛləs/

zɛləs

UK/ˈzɛləs/

zɛləs

New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.

Common mistake

The 'ea' is a short 'e' - 'ZEL-us', not 'ZEE-lus', even though 'zeal' has a long 'ee'.

What “zealous” means

Full of zeal; ardent, fervent; exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion, particularly in matters of religion.

In a sentence

  • The new volunteer was so zealous that she arrived an hour early every day.
  • The council has been zealous in enforcing the new parking rules.

Say it out loud a few times, then check yourself.

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Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.