FANATIC Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

fanatic 1 of 2

noun

fə-ˈna-tik

Definition of fanatic

as in lover

a person with a strong and habitual liking for something football fanatics are pretty much booked up for weekends from Labor Day to Super Bowl Sunday

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in partisan

one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause once he joined the movement, he became a fanatic

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fanatic

2 of 2

adjective

fə-ˈna-ti-kəl

variants or fanatical

as in extreme

being very far from the center of public opinion because of her fanatical views, her friends know better than to try to discuss the issues with her

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fanatic

Noun

What we’re left with is the image of the fanatic, leaving prints on the grass, chasing the President’s golf cart to no avail, working out her psychic need in the epistolary form, writing as much to herself as to her addressee. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026 Croissant lovers, cookie fanatics and cake devotees — this one’s for you. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026

Adjective

There is a fanatical element among those who want to ban horse carriages. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026 Director Brian De Palma cemented our cultural awareness of Carrie with his 1976 classic, starring Sissy Spacek as the repressed Carrie White and Piper Laurie as her religious fanatic mother, Margaret. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fanatic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanatic

Noun

Her daughter, who is an animal lover, has learned about marine creatures by scuba diving and going on submarine rides on their trips.

— Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Overnight, the foundation became a staple among makeup artists and beauty lovers worldwide, thanks to its second-skin finish and lit-from-within glow.

— Beth Sobol, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of lover

Noun

Harald paid tribute to the Norwegian partisans who had fought alongside the Soviets during World War II, helping to restore the memory of a segment of the population that had long been marginalized in the official narrative of the war.

— Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
This week’s Pollwatcher answers a reader’s question about how polls select respondents and highlights how partisans in one state have flipped on a Democratic senator.

— Scott Clement, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of partisan

Adjective

China is also blocked from accessing ASML’s most advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) machines.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Intel is a slightly different case because it’s also caught up in the mania for chip stocks as spending on artificial intelligence creates extreme demand for semiconductors.

— Norah Rami, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of extreme

Noun

Earlier this year, affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State both carried out attacks on the civilian airport and military airbase, contributing to initial suspicion that militants could have been behind the assault on the capital.

— Reuters, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Jihadi militants had on two occasions this year attacked the airport, a strategic hub that hosts a Nigerien air force base as well as the headquarters of the joint Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali military force.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of militant

Adjective

Burning Man, a weeklong event focused on radical self-expression, participation, communal effort and civic responsibility, is expected to draw approximately 70,000 people this year.

— Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
As a result, the hair’s length is largely preserved; this isn’t about a radical cut, but about creating texture that wasn’t there before.

— Lucy Binder, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of radical

Noun

During the monthly programs, yarn enthusiasts can work on their own knit, crochet or other yarn art project in a group setting, according to a press release from the district.

— Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
The country remains a popular destination among outdoor enthusiasts due to its Amazon Rainforest and incredible salt flats.

— Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of enthusiast

Noun

Trump impeachment crusader scores upset in Oklahoma Senate race.

— , FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Andrew Sweetman, the Scottish marine biogeochemist who led the work, hadn’t made such claims, but he was still pilloried by fellow-scientists, and proponents of mining accused him of being an anti-mining crusader.

— James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of crusader

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“Fanatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanatic. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fanatic

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

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