zealous | SAT Word of the Day
Back in the day, my students knew this word from Starcraft.
⚡️ Quick Quiz: Do you know what ZEALOUS means already?
zealous most nearly means
(A) passionate
(B) cautious
(C) knowledgeable
(D) considerate
(E) irrational
And another one:
Which of the following people could best be described as zealous?
(A) Marinka reluctantly agreed to volunteer at the Nike Marathon event after much cajoling.
(B) Akashia researched every aspect of green energy to be conversant on the topic.
(C) Dr. Thompson calmly presented her findings to the board without showing emotion.
(D) Juan carefully considered all options before making a decision about his college major.
(E) Solange occasionally practiced piano when she had nothing else to do.
Scroll down for the answer/s.
ℹ️ Part of speech of zealous
zealous is an ADJECTIVE.
🗣️ Pronunciation of zealous
zealous is pronounced /ˈzel.əs/ or ZEL-us.
📚️ Definition of zealous
Showing great energy, enthusiasm, and dedication toward a cause, objective, or ideal. Example: zealous pursuit of justice.
📰 Examples
Here are some examples of zealous in usage:
The zealous law student worked sixteen hours daily preparing for the mock trial competition, annotating cases with meticulous precision while her colleagues kept more balanced schedules.
The advocate must be zealous but never zealots, committed but not obsessed, dedicated but not fanatical.
The company's most zealous fanpeople camped overnight outside stores to purchase the newly released smartphone. (I can proudly say I never did this. But I know people who did! It was a different time, alas.)
✅ Quiz answer/s
Answers:
A, passionate. Explanations: A is correct as "passionate" means the intense enthusiasm and dedication of being zealous. B is incorrect; "cautious" implies hesitation rather than enthusiasm. C is incorrect; "knowledgeable" refers to possessing information, not necessarily being enthusiastic. D is incorrect; "considerate" relates to thoughtfulness toward others. E is incorrect; while zealousness can sometimes appear extreme, "irrational" implies a lack of reason, which is not part of the meaning of "zealous."
B, Akashia researched every aspect of renewable energy.... Explanation: Akashia demonstrates intense dedication and enthusiasm (zealousness) for renewable energy through her comprehensive research and voluntary discussions. A is incorrect because reluctance contradicts zealousness. C is incorrect because calmness without emotion does not suggest zealousness. D is incorrect because careful consideration indicates thoughtfulness but not necessarily zealousness. E is incorrect because occasional, casual practice indicates low commitment, the opposite of zealousness.
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Vocab list of the words that appeared on the Nov 2024 SAT test