Also 7 enthusiasme, (entousiasm, 8 enthysiasm). [ad. late L. enthūsiasm-us, Gr. ἐνθουσιασμός, f. ἐνθουσιάζειν, f. ἐνθουσία (Zonaras Lex.) the fact of being ἔνθεος possessed by a god. Cf. Fr. enthousiasme.
The word ἐνθουσία has been explained by Leo Meyer as for *ἐνθουσία, abstr. sb. f. *ἐνθεοῦντ- stem of pr. pple. of *ἐνθεεῖν to be ἔνθεος.]
† 1. Possession by a god, supernatural inspiration, prophetic or poetic frenzy; an occasion or manifestation of these. Obs.
[1579. E. K., Gloss. Spenser’s Sheph. Cal., Oct. Argt., A certaine ἐνθουσιασμός and celestiall inspiration.
1608. Sylvester, Du Bartas, 210. I feel the vertue of my spirit decayed, The Enthousiasmos of my Muse allaid.]
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1342. The Dæmons use to make their prophets and prophetesses to be ravished with an Enthusiasme or divine fury and full of fantasticall visions.
1620. J. Pyper, trans. Hist. Astrea, I. V. 146. The Bacchanals runne thorow the streets raging and storming, full of the Enthusiasme of their god.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 87. Doth he think they knew it by Enthusiasm or Revelation from Heaven?
1674. Hickman, Hist. Quinquart. (ed. 2), 8. Nothing made the Anabaptists so infamous as their pretended enthusiasms or revelations.
1693. Urquhart, Rabelais, III. Prol. 10. It is my sole Entousiasm.
1807. Robinson, Archæol. Græca, III. xii. 253. The second sort of θεομάντεις … were such as pretended to enthusiasm.
† b. (cf. 3.) Poetical fervor, impassioned mood or tone. Obs.
1684. Dryden, State of Innoc., Pref. (J.). Poetry … by a kind of Enthusiasm, or extraordinary Emotion of Soul, makes it seem to us that we behold [etc.].
1779–81. Johnson, L. P., Cowley, Wks. II. 70. He [Cowley] was the first who imparted to English numbers the enthusiasm of the greater ode, and the gaiety of the less.
2. Fancied inspiration; ‘a vain confidence of divine favour or communication’ (J.). In 18th c. often in vaguer sense: Ill-regulated or misdirected religious emotion, extravagance of religious speculation. arch.
1660. H. More, Myst. Godl., To Rdr. If ever Christianity be exterminated, it will be by Enthusiasme.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac., § 7 (1737), I. 53. Inspiration is a real feeling of the Divine Presence, and Enthusiasm a false one.
1747. Doddridge, Life Col. Gardiner, § 137. 163. There is really such a Thing as Enthusiasm, against which it becomes the true Friends of the Revelation to be diligently on their Guard.
1766. Walpole, Lett., 10 Oct. Towards the end he [Wesley] exalted his voice and acted very ugly enthusiasm.
1772. Priestley, Inst. Relig. (1782), II. 121. [Enthusiasm makes us] imagine that we are the peculiar favourites of the divine being.
1829. I. Taylor, Enthus., ii. (1867), 20. The most formal and lifeless devotions … are mere enthusiasm unless [etc.].
1841–4. Emerson, Ess. Over-Soul, Wks. (Bohn), I. 118. Everywhere the history of religion betrays a tendency to enthusiasm.
3. The current sense: Rapturous intensity of feeling in favor of a person, principle, cause, etc.; passionate eagerness in any pursuit, proceeding from an intense conviction of the worthiness of the object.
1716. Kennett, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 429, IV. 306. The King of Sweden … must have much more enthusiasm in him to put it in execution.
1766–7. Mrs. S. Pennington, Lett., III. 167. Different religions have introduced prejudices, Enthusiasms, and Scepticisms.
1792. Anecd. W. Pitt, I. xviii. 282. A passion for glory which was nothing short of enthusiasm.
1808. Sir John Moore, in Jas. Moore, Camp. Spain, 76. The armies you see are also without enthusiasm, or even common obstinacy.
1817. Miss Mitford, in L’Estrange, Life, II. i. 11. Enthusiasm is very catching, especially when it is very eloquent.
1863. Mary Howitt, trans. F. Bremer’s Greece, I. ii. 56. Enthusiasm for the ideals of his country and of humanity.
