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enthusiasm

/ɪnˈθuːziæzəm//ɪnˈθjuːziæzəm/·noun
intense, eager enjoyment of or excitement about something
Fig. 1 — A row of torches stands cold and dark, minding its own business.
01Definition

Enthusiasm is energetic eagerness — a warmth of feeling that makes you lean into something and want more of it. It shows in the voice, the pace, the readiness to begin. The word comes from the Greek enthousiasmos, 'possessed by a god', and it keeps that sense of being filled and carried along by a force larger than calm interest. Crucially, enthusiasm is catching: one genuinely eager person can give a flat, tired room an energy it did not have a moment before.

02In use
  • iHer enthusiasm was enough to galvanize a tired committee into doing real work.
  • iiEarly enthusiasm gives a project its momentum, but discipline is what carries it to the end.
  • iiiHe spoke about the research with an enthusiasm the students clearly found contagious.
03Collocations
  • boundless enthusiasm
  • show enthusiasm for
  • greet with enthusiasm
  • infectious enthusiasm
  • wane in enthusiasm

Family enthusiastic (adjective) · enthusiastically (adverb) · enthusiast (noun)

04Relations

=eagerness, zeal, passion, keenness, fervour

≠apathy, indifference, reluctance

06TOEFL & IELTS

A staple of IELTS Speaking Parts 1–2, where examiners reward genuine engagement: 'I have a real enthusiasm for…' sounds far stronger than 'I like…'. Mind the spelling (en-thu-si-asm) and the part of speech — the noun is enthusiasm, the adjective enthusiastic. In Writing it suits topics on motivation, learning, and the workplace.

07Asked
How do you spell enthusiasm?
En-thu-si-asm — the trap is the silent middle. Common misspellings drop or swap sounds you cannot hear: 'enthusiam' (missing the s), 'enthusiasim' (an extra i), 'enthousiasm' (a stray o from the Greek). Say it in four beats — en·THU·si·asm — and spell each beat, and the word behaves.
What is the origin of the word enthusiasm?
From the Greek entheos, 'having a god within' — enthusiasm first meant divine possession, then religious fervour. From the mid-1600s into the 1700s it was an insult, implying dangerous fanaticism. Only later did it cool into today's warm, harmless eagerness. The 'god inside' is still faintly there: to be enthusiastic is to be filled and carried along.
What is the difference between enthusiasm and eagerness?
Eagerness points forward — an impatient desire to get to something ('eager to start'). Enthusiasm is broader and more visible: a warm enjoyment of the thing itself, not just of reaching it. You can be eager for a holiday to arrive; you show enthusiasm all the way through it. Eagerness wants; enthusiasm delights.
Is 'enthuse' a real word?
Yes, but handle it with care. Enthuse is a back-formation from enthusiasm, and some careful writers still dislike it as informal. 'She enthused about the plan' (spoke with enthusiasm) is widely accepted; 'to enthuse someone' (to fill them with enthusiasm) sounds weaker. In formal writing, 'show enthusiasm' is the safer choice.
Is enthusiasm contagious?
Famously — and the word's users assume it. One genuinely eager person can lift a flat, tired room, which is why 'infectious enthusiasm' is a set phrase. The scene above is built on it: a single torch at the end of a cold row catches, flicks a spark to its neighbour, and the fire runs the whole line until every torch is roaring together.
Can 'enthusiasm' be plural?
Usually it is uncountable — you have enthusiasm, not 'an enthusiasm', for most things. But the plural 'enthusiasms' exists with a shifted meaning: a person's enthusiasms are their passions or hobbies ('his many enthusiasms'). So the singular is a feeling; the plural is a list of the things you feel it for.