Fanatical
/fəˈnætɪkəl/
Definitions
Displaying excessive enthusiasm or devotion to a cause or idea.
/fəˈnætɪkəl/
Excessively enthusiastic and devoted to a cause, often to an extreme or unreasonable degree.
The fanatical devotion of the cult members made them easy to manipulate.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone is SUPER into a certain thing - maybe a sports team or a belief. If they're super, super into it and it kind of controls their life, they're being fanatical. It's like when your friend is obsessed with a band and talks about them all the time - but taken to an extreme!
👶 For kids: When someone likes something SO much that they get really, really excited and maybe even a little too into it!
More Examples
Her fanatical adherence to the diet meant she refused all desserts.
The fanatical fans of the band camped out for days to get concert tickets.
How It's Used
"The politician's fanatical supporters would do anything for him."
"Some religious groups are seen as fanatical due to their extreme beliefs."
"The team has a fanatical following."
From Latin fanaticus, meaning "inspired by a god, frantic," originally referring to someone connected to a temple or a religious cult. It later evolved to describe excessive enthusiasm or devotion to a cause.
The term 'fanatical' has been used since the 17th century, initially related to religious zeal but expanding to cover any extreme enthusiasm.
Memory tip
Think of a FANATIC—they're usually OVERLY devoted, almost to a point of craziness.
Word Origin
"inspired by a god, frantic"