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enthuse

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈθjuːz, ɛn-/

Translate enthuse | into German | into Italian
Definition of enthuse

verb

[no object]
  • express eager enjoyment, interest, or approval regarding something:they both enthused over my new look
  • [with object] make (someone) interested and eagerly appreciative:public art is a tonic that can enthuse alienated youth

The verb enthuse is a back-formation from the noun enthusiasm and, like many verbs formed from nouns in this way (especially those originating from the US), is regarded by traditionalists as unacceptable. It is difficult to see why: back-formation is a perfectly respectable means for creating new words in the language (verbs like classify, commentate, and edit were also formed as back-formations from nouns, for example) and enthuse itself has been in English since the early 19th century. Compare with impact (usage).

enthuse in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of enthuse in the US English dictionary
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