What does enthusiasm mean?
Word: Enthusiasm
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Enthusiasm means a strong feeling of excitement and interest in something, with a real wish to take part.
Synonyms: eagerness, excitement
How do you spell enthusiasm?
Syllables: en - thu - si - asm
Tricky part: The ending is -asm, not -ism. Pupils hear only a soft sound after the s, and enthusiam and enthusiasum are the result.
Watch out for: enthusiam, enthusiasum
Memory tip: Picture a keen hiker cheering at her first sight of a wide chasm. Chasm ends with the same three letters as this word.
Enthusiasm in a sentence
Example 1: The new coach's enthusiasm soon spread to the whole football team.
Example 2: Priya talked with great enthusiasm about her trip to the Andaman Islands.
Example 3: Even after three hours of rehearsal, the dancers showed no loss of enthusiasm.
Fun Fact
The American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
en______siasm
a) thew
b) thu
c) tu
d) thou
Show answer
b) thu. After en comes the th of think, then a single u; no o or w joins in.
Word Tally
You get 2 marks for each misspelt word you find in the list. How many marks do you get?
enthusiasm, confidance, patience, discipline, perseverence
a) 8
b) 6
c) 4
d) 2
Show answer
c) 4. Confidence and perseverance are the two misspelt words, so 2 x 2 = 4.
Sound Check
In which word is 'th' pronounced differently?
a) thumb
b) feather
c) enthusiasm
d) athlete
Show answer
b) feather. Feather has the soft th of this and that; the others have the breathy th of think.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
miusathsen
a) a calm, steady way of waiting for your turn
b) the keen energy you bring to something you love doing
c) a quiet sense of being sorry for something
d) a sudden feeling of being a little shy
Show answer
b) the keen energy you bring to something you love doing. Rearranged, this is the word for being really keen.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. How might a pupil show enthusiasm for a science fair?
a) handing in the form only when reminded
b) asking whether the fair can be skipped
c) leaving your project until the night before
d) staying after class to finish your model early
Show answer
d) staying after class to finish your model early
2. Someone who greets a new hobby with enthusiasm is likely to do what?
a) complain about it to friends
b) forget about it within minutes
c) put it off until next year
d) practise it every spare minute
Show answer
d) practise it every spare minute
