Origin: 1515–25; <
Latin fānāticus pertaining to a temple, inspired by orgiastic rites, frantic, equivalent to
fān(
um) temple +
-āticus, equivalent to
-āt(
us)
-ate1 +
-icus -ic Related formsnon·fa·nat·ic, noun, adjective
Synonyms
1. enthusiast, zealot, bigot, hothead, militant. Fanatic, zealot, militant, devotee refer to persons showing more than ordinary support for, adherence to, or interest in a cause, point of view, or activity. Fanatic and zealot both suggest excessive or overweening devotion to a cause or belief. Fanatic further implies unbalanced or obsessive behavior: a wild-eyed fanatic. Zealot, only slightly less unfavorable in implication than fanatic, implies single-minded partisanship: a tireless zealot for tax reform. Militant stresses vigorous, aggressive support for or opposition to a plan or ideal and suggests a combative stance. Devotee is a milder term than any of the foregoing, suggesting enthusiasm but not to the exclusion of other interests or possible points of view: a jazz devotee.