fanatical

[fuh-nat-i-kuhl]

adjective

1. motivated or characterized by an extreme, uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics.

   Synonyms: rabid, frenzied, zealous, enthusiastic

fanatical

/ fəˈnætɪkəl /

adjective

1. surpassing what is normal or accepted in enthusiasm for or belief in something; excessively or unusually dedicated or devoted

Other Word Forms

• fanatically adverb
• fanaticalness noun
• nonfanatical adjective
• nonfanatically adverb
• unfanatical adjective
• unfanatically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of fanatical¹

First recorded in 1540–50; fanatic + -al ¹

Synonym Study

See intolerant, radical.

Example Sentences

As American politics have become increasingly divisive and supercharged by misinformation, the term seeks to apply our understanding of dangerous and fanatical religious groups to extreme political beliefs.

From Salon

Superstar players, fanatical fans, regular helpings of drama and the sinister side of the game - the Superclasico has it all.

From BBC

Still, Pew also found that a slim majority of U.S. adults say they have heard or read “nothing at all” about fanatical Christian nationalism.

From Los Angeles Times

"He is a workaholic, fanatical and leads from the front. I guess that is why a lot of these younger players who are coming through are working so hard for him and having great success."

From BBC

Wynona has designs on River’s cat, and River keeps planting a botanical species on workplace grounds that Wynona is on a fanatical mission to wipe out.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bigoted 
• dogmatic 
• enthusiastic 
• fervent 
• frenzied 
• impassioned 
• narrow-minded 
• obsessive 
• passionate 
• rabid 
• single-minded 
• stubborn 
• violent 
• zealous 

When To Use

What does fanatical mean?

Fanatical means having and being motivated by an extreme and often unquestioning enthusiasm, devotion, or zeal for something, such as a religion, political stance, or cause.A person who shows such extreme enthusiasm or devotion is called a fanatic. Sometimes, fanatic is used negatively to imply that someone takes such devotion too far, as in They’re considered religious fanatics due to their extreme practices. Close synonyms are extremist, radical, and zealot.Other times, fanatic is not used negatively but instead simply refers to someone who is extreme in their devotion or enthusiasm for an interest or hobby. For example, calling someone a sports fanatic means they’re an extremely enthusiastic fan of sports. In fact, the word fan is a shortening of fanatic.Fanatical can be used to describe either a kind of fanatic or such a person’s beliefs or behavior.Example: We dismiss these extreme beliefs by calling them fanatical, but they may be more widespread than we think.