different between zealous vs sprightly

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

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /?sp?a?tli/
• Hyphenation: spright?ly

Etymology 1

From spright +? -ly (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘behaving like, having the nature of’). Spright is an obsolete variant of sprite (“a shade, spirit; elf, fairy, goblin; apparition, ghost”), from Middle English sprit (“principle of life; soul, especially at the point of death; immaterial being (angel, demon, apparition, ghost, etc.); divine inspiration; Holy Spirit; the mind, intellect, reason; mental faculties, senses; power of prophecy; character, disposition; courage, resolution; mood, state of mind; human will; breath; (alchemy) volatile substance”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman esprite, esprit and Middle French esprit, variants of Anglo-Norman, Middle French, Old French espirit, esperit (“spirit”), from Latin sp?ritus (“air; breath; breathing; ghost, spirit”), from sp?r? (“to breathe; to breathe out, exhale”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow; to breathe”)) + -tus (“suffix forming action nouns from verbs”).

Adjective

sprightly (comparative sprightlier, superlative sprightliest)

1. Animated, gay, or vivacious; lively, spirited.

   Synonyms: energetic, high-spirited, (chiefly Australia, US) spright

   Antonym: melancholy
2. Of a person: full of life and vigour, especially with a light and springy step.

   Synonyms: active, dynamic, mettlesome, vivacious

   1. Especially of an older person: energetic and in good health; spry.
3. (obsolete, rare) Of or relating to a sprite; ghostly, spectral.

Alternative forms

• sprightlie (obsolete)
• spritely

Derived terms

• spright (adjective) (chiefly Australia, US)
• sprightle (English Midlands, Northern Ireland, rare)
• sprightlily
• sprightliness

Related terms

• sprightful
• sprightless (rare)
• sprightness (rare)

Translations

Etymology 2

From spright +? -ly (suffix forming adverbs from adjectives).; see further at etymology 1.

Adverb

sprightly (comparative sprightlier, superlative sprightliest)

1. In a lively and vigorous way; sprightlily.

Derived terms

• sprightlily

Translations

References

Anagrams

• triglyphs