enthuses

Enthuses is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb enthuse. To enthuse means to express or cause intense interest or enthusiasm about something. The sense can be transitive, as in “The critic enthuses about the film,” or intransitive, as in “She enthuses about her trip.” The verb can also mean to stimulate enthusiasm in an audience or group, as in a speaker who enthuses the crowd.

Etymology and usage notes: The verb is a back-formation from the noun enthusiasm or influenced by the French enthousiasmer, and it entered English in the late 19th or early 20th century. It is more common in British English; American writers may prefer “be enthusiastic about” or “excite” instead of “enthuse,” though usage has broadened in recent decades.

Usage considerations: The term is generally informal or semi-formal and frequently appears in journalism, reviews, and contemporary writing. Some style guides treat it as colloquial and suggest alternatives in formal contexts. The related nouns and adjectives—enthusiasm and enthusiastic—offer a more neutral option in formal writing.

See also: enthusiasm; enthusiastic.