en ‧ thu ‧ si ‧ as ‧ m W3 /ɪnˈθjuːziæz ə m $ ɪnˈθuː-/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ enthusiasm , ↑ enthusiast ; verb : ↑ enthuse ; adverb : ↑ enthusiastically ≠ UNENTHUSIASTICALLY ; adjective : ↑ enthusiastic ≠ UNENTHUSIASTIC ]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Greek ; Origin: enthousiasmos , from entheos 'filled (by a god) with sudden strong abilities' , from theos 'god' ]
1 . [uncountable] a strong feeling of interest and enjoyment about something and an eagerness to be involved in it:
Gillian and Darren greeted the speakers with great enthusiasm.
We went along to the local diving club, full of enthusiasm.
They go about their tasks with little enthusiasm.
enthusiasm for
Britain’s apparent lack of enthusiasm for such a scheme
Employers showed little enthusiasm for the new regulations.
He shares your enthusiasm for jazz.
I left university fired with enthusiasm for work.
A delay of two hours did not dampen their enthusiasm.
2 . [countable] formal an activity or subject that someone is very interested in
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have enthusiasm
He never had much enthusiasm for work.
▪ show enthusiasm
The younger children showed little enthusiasm for the game.
▪ lose (your) enthusiasm
The diet started well, but I lost enthusiasm after a while.
▪ arouse/generate enthusiasm formal (=make people feel enthusiastic)
The changes to the timetable failed to arouse enthusiasm amongst the staff.
▪ dampen sb’s enthusiasm (=cause people to be unenthusiastic)
The rain had dampened our enthusiasm.
▪ share sb’s enthusiasm
I’m afraid I don’t share my husband’s enthusiasm for camping.
▪ fire sb’s enthusiasm (=make someone feel very enthusiastic)
At high school, Mr Jones really fired my enthusiasm for history.
■ adjectives
▪ infectious (=spreading from one person to another)
Her enthusiasm was infectious.
▪ great/much/considerable enthusiasm
There was considerable enthusiasm for the idea of a party.
▪ enormous/tremendous enthusiasm
He always plays with tremendous enthusiasm.
▪ genuine/real enthusiasm
She talked about the project with genuine enthusiasm.
▪ boundless/unbounded enthusiasm formal (=very great)
I’d like to thank the design team for their boundless enthusiasm.
▪ little enthusiasm (=not much enthusiasm)
In the nearby villages, there’s little enthusiasm for the airport.
▪ initial enthusiasm (=happening at the beginning, but not lasting)
After a few months, their initial enthusiasm had started to wane.
▪ renewed enthusiasm (=starting again, with increased energy or interest)
After lunch, she went about the task with renewed enthusiasm.
▪ youthful enthusiasm (=enthusiasm that is typical of young people)
The team has just the right mix of youthful enthusiasm and experience.
■ phrases
▪ with/without enthusiasm
The proposal has been greeted with enthusiasm by both parties.
▪ (be) full of enthusiasm (=very enthusiastic)
He entered politics full of enthusiasm, but that gradually disappeared.
▪ be brimming/bursting/bubbling with enthusiasm (=be very excited and enthusiastic)
Andrea’s voice was brimming with enthusiasm when she told John her plans.
▪ be fired (up) with enthusiasm (=be very enthusiastic and keen to do something)
She came back from the course fired up with enthusiasm.
▪ a wave/burst/surge of enthusiasm (=a sudden feeling of enthusiasm)
The new year began with a fresh wave of enthusiasm.
▪ a lack of enthusiasm
My lack of enthusiasm for his suggestion made him angry.