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
Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Smith and Hill, who was also named in the lawsuit, both vehemently denied all claims of wrongdoing and accused the plaintiffs of being jealous of Piper’s popularity and success.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Katelyn didn't realize holding her new puppy would make her older dog jealous.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
An article from Rover said that dogs can get jealous, but not in the same way humans do.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jealous
Cite this Entry
“Jealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jealous. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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