different between zealous vs blithe

English

Alternative forms

• zelous

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ????? (zêlos, “zeal, jealousy”), from ????? (z?ló?, “to emulate, to be jealous”). Doublet of jealous.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?z?l.?s/
• Rhymes: -?l?s
• Hyphenation: zeal?ous

Adjective

zealous (comparative more zealous, superlative most zealous)

1. Full of zeal; ardent, fervent; exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion.
   • 1791, James Boswell, The life of Samuel Johnson, new ed. (1831) by John Wilson Croker, volume 1, page 238:

     Johnson was truly zealous for the success of "The Adventurer;" and very soon after his engaging in it, he wrote the following letter:

   • 1896, Andrew Dickson White, A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom (2004 edition), page 122:

     Doubtless many will exclaim against the Roman Catholic Church for this; but the simple truth is that Protestantism was no less zealous against the new scientific doctrine.

   • 1940, Foster Rhea Dulles, America Learns to Play: A history of popular recreation, 1607-1940, page 61:

     […] and there were few more zealous dancers at the fashionable balls in the Raleigh Tavern at Williamsburg.

   • 2011 April 4, "Newt Gingrich," Time (retrieved 9 Sept 2013):

     Newt Gingrich . . . left Congress in 1998, following GOP midterm-election losses that many blamed on his zealous pursuit of Bill Clinton's impeachment.

Synonyms

• (full of zeal): ardent, eager, enthusiastic, fervent, passionate, zealotic

Antonyms

• (full of zeal): apathetic, dispassionate, indifferent, unenthusiastic

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English blithe (“glad, happy, joyful; causing joy, joyous; gentle, mild; gracious, merciful; bright, shining; beautiful, fair”) [and other forms], from Old English bl?þe (“glad, happy, joyful; gentle, mild”), from Proto-West Germanic *bl?þ?, from Proto-Germanic *bl?þiz (“friendly; gentle, mild; pleasing”), from Proto-Indo-European *b?l?- (“fine; light; pleasant”), from Proto-Indo-European *b?el- (“shiny; white”). Doublet of bliss.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /bla?ð/, /bla??/
• Rhymes: -a?ð, -a??

Adjective

blithe (comparative blither, superlative blithest)

1. Casually careless or indifferent; showing a lack of concern.
2. (chiefly Scotland, elsewhere dated or literary) Cheerful, happy.

Derived terms

Related terms

• bliss

Translations

References

Further reading

• blithe (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• thible

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English blithe, from Old English bl?þe, from Proto-West Germanic *bl?þ?, from Proto-Germanic *bl?þiz. Cognate with Danish blid, Dutch blij, Icelandic blíður. Compare bliss.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bla?ð/
• Rhymes: -a?ð

Adjective

blithe (comparative blither, superlative blithest)

1. Happy