Learn English – Word for someone who blindly follows a religion or government

single-word-requests

What word describes a person who blindly (unquestioningly) follows a government or religion? I am looking for a specific word that I came across recently but have since forgotten what is was and where I found it. It is similar to zealot in definition but it is not zealot or any of the synonyms typically presented in a thesaurus. I believe the definition more emphasized the unquestioning aspect rather than the fanaticism.

Best Answer

One obvious contender is fanatic, and the related adjective fanatical:

NOUN

1 A person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, especially for an extreme religious or political cause.

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

Much to the chagrin of my room-mates, come election time I will roam around extolling the necessity of voting with the zeal of a religious fanatic.

The extreme right wing religious fanatics truly scare me beyond belief.

Wesley's eyes glint with a religious fanatic's zeal.

(Definition and examples from Oxforddictionaries.com)

You could also describe such a person as a slavish adherent / slavish supporter [of something].

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