A zealot is a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.
I have never seen this word used with positive connotation, but could it (without causing raised eyebrows)? For example, “Gandhi was a zealot and should be admired by all who believe in non-violence.”
Also, do “zealous” and “zeal” carry the same connotation as “zealot”?
Best Answer
Zealot, in my experience, is usually used in a negative context, but doesn't have to be.
One quote from the link FumbleFingers quoted in his comment above shows how it can be used in a positive fashion without any apparent controversy:
And, of course, from someone sharing the same views as the zealot, it can be a good thing indeed:
Zealous and zeal are more often used positively. Again, this is just in my experience. I'm sure there are some for whom the words bring to mind the "zealot".