Havelock EllisScott Buchanan
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Zealous vs. Jealous
Zealous and jealous share not just a rhyme, but an etymology. Both words ultimately come from the Latin zelus “jealousy,” and in the past their meanings were somewhat closer to each other than they are today. In the 16th and 17th centuries, zealous occasionally was used in biblical writing to refer to a quality of apprehensiveness or jealousy of another. By the 18th century, however, it had completely diverged in meaning from jealous, signifying “warmly engaged or ardent on behalf of someone or something.” Today, zealous often carries a connotation of excessive feeling: it typically means “fiercely partisan” or “uncompromisingly enthusiastic.”
Examples of jealous in a Sentence
Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
Luckily, Sebastian, another of Sybil’s ex-fiancés, is vacationing at Starling Ranch too, and agrees to act as Sybil’s fake boyfriend to make Jamie jealous.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024
Alternatively, there may be someone in your group who is jealous of you or another peer of yours, causing drama among you.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2024
Get ready for a yacht that even James Bond would be jealous of.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for jealous 
Dictionary Entries Near jealous
Cite this Entry
“Jealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jealous. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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