How to Use zealous in a Sentence

zealous

adjective
  • The detective was zealous in her pursuit of the kidnappers.
  • This would likely make the views of those who remain even more zealous.
    — Kara Alaimo, CNN, 18 Oct. 2022
  • The stakes are not high enough here to justify the zealous tone of the film.
    — Kyle Smith, National Review, 28 Sep. 2020
  • Any over-zealous methods to speed things up can backfire in the long run.
    — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 1 June 2018
  • Hashimoto and his crew were zealous in their desire to sink a warship.
    — Tony Perry, latimes.com, 6 July 2018
  • Down that road lies a world in which only the most zealous sign up for public service.
    — James Hohmann, Washington Post, 25 June 2018
  • Burnett is a zealous steward of her own legacy.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The most zealous bunny huggers want to stop their hobby, or at least curtail it.
    — Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 1 July 2024
  • Jay lives in Boulder and is a zealous advocate for his clients.
    — Jay Kalinski, Orange County Register, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Her whole life was in front of her and it was taken from her by racist, under trained, over zealous, lying cops.
    — Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2023
  • Such a zealous swipe at royal standing could prove a threat to the Targaryen monarchy.
    — Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 21 Aug. 2022
  • Low-dose naltrexone has lurked for years on the fringes of medicine, and its zealous advocates worry it may be stuck there.
    — Alex Smith, Kaiser Health, chicagotribune.com, 7 Oct. 2019
  • On and off the field, soccer, the world’s most popular sport, ignites zealous passions.
    — Carlos Aguilar, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
  • Haley came down hard on the zealous newcomer in what was perhaps the most pointed exchange of the evening.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
  • In those days, the son nurtured his ego through zealous service to his father, but Mario saw that fealty as a flaw.
    — Dan Zak, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2021
  • Riseborough’s zealous approach to her craft has always suggested the mind of a fine artist at work.
    — Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2023
  • Not only are horror-tape collectors some of the most zealous, but those are often the rarest and most valuable.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Admittedly, conversations might be a bit zealous, but that is the tenor of the day.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
  • There’s the wellness enthusiast, ever zealous to remind us to take a break and stretch.
    — Boutayna Chokrane, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Both his parents came from the working class, and his father was a zealous New Dealer.
    — Kerry Clawson, cincinnati.com, 2 May 2020
  • Vicki is practical, brisk and loving, with a streak of the zealous cleaning lady.
    — Mary Norris, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2020
  • The problem is the over-zealous VID spit out by the motherboard.
    — Mark Walton, Ars Technica, 5 Oct. 2017
  • At some point, bad football is bad football, and not even the most zealous commitment to fighting the culture wars can change that.
    — Jay Willis, GQ, 26 Jan. 2018
  • Being over zealous with your spritzing and showing up smelling like the entire perfume/ cologne counter from Macy's.
    — Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
  • And either way, they usually got criticized, for being too zealous, on the one hand, or too timid on the other.
    — Samantha J. Gross, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Feb. 2023
  • But this hero, the kind-hearted Yugi, is possessed by a more bold, zealous spirit that goes by Pharaoh.
    — Nick Romano, EW.com, 18 Sep. 2020
  • And maybe those who feel the strongest, most zealous sense of belonging wind up being those who are motivated to go to the polls.
    — Danielle Allen, Harper's Magazine, 27 Oct. 2020
  • The orange of a President who was a little too zealous at the tanning salon.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The films recognize the impact of the zealous anti-choice movement in varying tones and degrees.
    — Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya, refinery29.com, 20 Oct. 2020
  • Pickling is a great way to prevent the overflow produce from the garden (or an over-zealous grocery trip) from going to waste.
    — Betsy Cribb, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zealous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: