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Prepositions after adjectives

Fanatical about, in, as, for or of?

Fanatical is most commonly followed by about when describing strong enthusiasm or obsession.

Quick answer

How is 'fanatical' used with prepositions?

Use fanatical about to describe intense enthusiasm or obsession. Other prepositions are uncommon or belong to different sentence structures. In may introduce an area of activity, while for and of are usually unnatural directly after fanatical.

She's fanatical about football.
He became fanatical about healthy eating.
The group was fanatical in its support for the team.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
fanatical about + interest

Showing strong enthusiasm or obsession

Use about before the subject that causes intense interest or devotion.

My brother is fanatical about photography.
They are fanatical about accuracy.
2
fanatical in + activity

Describing extreme behaviour in an area

In can introduce the activity or behaviour where fanaticism appears.

She was fanatical in her attention to detail.
The coach became fanatical in his training methods.
3
fanatical as + role

Using as in a descriptive phrase

As is not a common complement after fanatical, but it may introduce a role in broader sentence structures.

He was described as fanatical about security.
The critics viewed her as fanatical in her beliefs.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
fanatical about
She is fanatical about tennis.
Standard way to express extreme enthusiasm or obsession.
fanatical in
He was fanatical in his support of the club.
Describes the area where extreme behaviour appears.
fanatical as
The press portrayed him as fanatical.
As usually belongs to a reporting structure, not directly to fanatical.
fanatical for
Fanatical for is uncommon in current standard English.
Use fanatical about instead.
fanatical of
Fanatical of is not standard English.
Use fanatical about instead.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using 'fanatical for'

English normally uses about after fanatical.

✕ She is fanatical for cycling. ✓ She is fanatical about cycling.

Using 'fanatical of'

Of is not a standard complement after fanatical.

✕ He is fanatical of technology. ✓ He is fanatical about technology.

Confusing direct complement and reporting structure

As often belongs to verbs like describe or portray, not directly to fanatical.

✕ She is fanatical as music. ✓ She is fanatical about music.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He is fanatical ___ classic cars.
2. The manager was fanatical ___ his preparation.
3. Critics described the leader as fanatical ___ his beliefs.

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Frequently asked questions

Is 'fanatical about' the most common pattern?

Yes. It is the standard way to describe intense enthusiasm or obsession.

Can I use 'fanatical for'?

It is generally considered unnatural in current standard English. Use fanatical about instead.

What is the difference between fanatical and enthusiastic?

Fanatical suggests extreme or excessive enthusiasm, while enthusiastic is usually more moderate and positive.

face-to-face-with-in-at-for, to "fair to" or "fair in"? faithful to, in, of, with or for? falling of, in, out, into or off? "false in" or "false to"? famed for, as, in or throughout? familiar with, to, from or in? famous for, in, of, by or as? "fantastic for" or "fantastic in"? far from, in, to, for or with? fascinating to, about, in, for or as? "fashionable in" or "fashionable for"?

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