Word family noun enthusiasm enthusiast adjective enthusiastic ≠ unenthusiastic verb enthuse adverb enthusiastically ≠ unenthusiastically
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishenthusiasmen‧thu‧si‧as‧m /ɪnˈθjuːziæzəm $ ɪnˈθuː-/ ●●○ W3 noun 1 [uncountable]ENTHUSIASTIC a strong feeling of interest and enjoyment about something and an eagerness to be involved in it Gillian and Darren greeted the speakers with great enthusiasm. We went along to the local diving club, full of enthusiasm. They go about their tasks with little enthusiasm.enthusiasm for Britain’s apparent lack of enthusiasm for such a scheme Employers showed little enthusiasm for the new regulations. He shares your enthusiasm for jazz. I left university fired with enthusiasm for work. A delay of two hours did not dampen their enthusiasm.2 [countable] formalLIKE somebody OR something an activity or subject that someone is very interested inCOLLOCATIONSverbshave enthusiasmHe never had much enthusiasm for work.show enthusiasmThe younger children showed little enthusiasm for the game.lose (your) enthusiasmThe diet started well, but I lost enthusiasm after a while.arouse/generate enthusiasm formal (=make people feel enthusiastic)The changes to the timetable failed to arouse enthusiasm amongst the staff.dampen somebody’s enthusiasm (=cause people to be unenthusiastic)The rain had dampened our enthusiasm.share somebody’s enthusiasmI’m afraid I don’t share my husband’s enthusiasm for camping.fire somebody’s enthusiasm (=make someone feel very enthusiastic)At high school, Mr Jones really fired my enthusiasm for history.adjectivesinfectious (=spreading from one person to another)Her enthusiasm was infectious.great/much/considerable enthusiasmThere was considerable enthusiasm for the idea of a party.enormous/tremendous enthusiasmHe always plays with tremendous enthusiasm.genuine/real enthusiasmShe talked about the project with genuine enthusiasm.boundless/unbounded enthusiasm formal (=very great)I’d like to thank the design team for their boundless enthusiasm.little enthusiasm (=not much enthusiasm)In the nearby villages, there’s little enthusiasm for the airport.initial enthusiasm (=happening at the beginning, but not lasting)After a few months, their initial enthusiasm had started to wane.renewed enthusiasm (=starting again, with increased energy or interest)After lunch, she went about the task with renewed enthusiasm.youthful enthusiasm (=enthusiasm that is typical of young people)The team has just the right mix of youthful enthusiasm and experience.phraseswith/without enthusiasmThe proposal has been greeted with enthusiasm by both parties.(be) full of enthusiasm (=very enthusiastic)He entered politics full of enthusiasm, but that gradually disappeared.be brimming/bursting/bubbling with enthusiasm (=be very excited and enthusiastic)Andrea’s voice was brimming with enthusiasm when she told John her plans.be fired (up) with enthusiasm (=be very enthusiastic and keen to do something)She came back from the course fired up with enthusiasm.a wave/burst/surge of enthusiasm (=a sudden feeling of enthusiasm)The new year began with a fresh wave of enthusiasm.a lack of enthusiasmMy lack of enthusiasm for his suggestion made him angry. Examples from the Corpus
enthusiasm• She plays tennis with great enthusiasm, but not very well.• More than anything else, he feels sad, he feels drained of enthusiasm, he feels disappointed in the world.• Greta was full of enthusiasm for the plan.• It says here that you failed to show any sort of enthusiasm in the leadership drills.• His own enthusiasm for the Internet began by accident.• I'd forgotten about Jim's enthusiasm for going on 20-mile walks.• Genetic control is now at the forefront of medical, scientific and state enthusiasm over the new reproductive technologies.• The company has had another successful year, thanks to the enthusiasm and energy of our workforce.• Well, not too radical actually, since trades unionists are not noted for their enthusiasm for rapid change.• She had a great empathy with animals and vast enthusiasm for what she did.• Absent, too, is the zealous activism of a huge freshman class that entered Washington two years ago brimming with enthusiasm.with great enthusiasm• He repeated it three times, and with greater enthusiasm, in 1852 than in 1848 and 1851.• She and Donald were discussing cars with great enthusiasm.• Most managers have not viewed these new areas of investment with great enthusiasm.• My wife has the opportunity these days of pursuing, with great enthusiasm, her hobby as a singer.• Eventually that sense of the truth was rejected even by some philosophers who had initally accepted scientific rationalism with great enthusiasm.• Harvey had always had a mania for showers and baths and he had taken to the sauna ritual with great enthusiasm.• A passenger sitting next to me flung a coin into the river with great enthusiasm.• With their job security for the moment assured, employees began to approach their tasks with greater enthusiasm and concentration.Origin enthusiasm (1500-1600) Greek enthousiasmos, from entheos “filled (by a god) with sudden strong abilities”, from theos “god” 