fanatical

[ fuh-nat-i-kuhl ]

adjective

1. motivated or characterized by an extreme, uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics.

   Synonyms: rabid, frenzied, zealous, enthusiastic

fanatical

/ fəˈnætɪkəl /

adjective

1. surpassing what is normal or accepted in enthusiasm for or belief in something; excessively or unusually dedicated or devoted

Derived Forms

• faˈnatically, adverb

Other Words From

• fa·nati·cal·ly adverb
• fa·nati·cal·ness noun
• nonfa·nati·cal adjective
• nonfa·nati·cal·ly adverb
• unfa·nati·cal adjective
• unfa·nati·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of fanatical¹

First recorded in 1540–50; fanatic + -al ¹

Synonym Study

See intolerant, radical.

Example Sentences

Disconnected from the magnitude of this fateful moment, the danger of a fascist president leading a fanatical movement becomes an abstraction.

From Salon

By the time I fired off my portmanteau replacement for the uninspired “map kings,” I possessed a granular understanding of the vote, batch by batch, that surpassed even my fanatical attention to the 2000 election in eighth grade.

From Los Angeles Times

Not that there were a lot in attendance; Gilmour aficionados tend toward the fanatical, the guitarist’s instantly recognizable tone and solos, notably the emotive psych-blues of “Comfortably Numb,” iconic.

From Los Angeles Times

The harrowing tale gets a detailed accounting in “Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara,” a gripping new documentary from director Erin Lee Carr that premiered last week on Hulu.

From Los Angeles Times

But “Fanatical” also tells a broader story about the blurriness of identity on the early social internet and about the toxic pop-star adulation that enabled Fegan to manipulate super fans eager to get close — maybe too close — to their musical hero.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bigoted
• dogmatic
• enthusiastic
• fervent
• frenzied
• impassioned
• narrow-minded
• obsessive
• passionate
• rabid
• single-minded
• stubborn
• violent
• zealous