eager

adjective

ea·​ger ˈē-gər 

1

: marked by enthusiastic or impatient desire or interest

2

a

archaic : sharp

b

obsolete : sour

eagerly adverb

eagerness noun

Synonyms

• agog
• antsy
• anxious
• ardent
• athirst
• avid
• crazy
• desirous
• enthused
• enthusiastic
• excited
• geeked [slang]
• great
• greedy
• gung ho
• hepped up
• hopped-up
• hot
• hungry
• impatient
• juiced
• keen
• nuts
• pumped
• raring
• solicitous
• stoked [slang]
• thirsty
• voracious
• wild

Choose the Right Synonym for eager

eager, avid, keen, anxious, athirst mean moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest.

eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

eager to get started

avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

avid for new thrills

keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

keen on the latest fashions

anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

anxious not to make a social blunder

athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

athirst for adventure

Examples of eager in a Sentence

… wine connoisseurs eager to visit cellars and late-fall pilgrims seeking the increasingly rare white truffle … —Corby Kummer, Atlantic, August 2000

… so many religions were steeped in an absolutist frame of mind—each convinced that it alone had a monopoly on the truth and therefore eager for the state to impose this truth on others. —Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World, 1996

She was eager to get started.

The crowd was eager for more.

Recent Examples on the Web

Since then, the cut has remained a favorite, and clearly British fans are still eager to buy the composition. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

As Halloween draws near, excitement builds for children eager to trick-or-treat. —Sarah Darby, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024

Could bring ‘life-changing money’ for Venice family Yankees star Aaron Judge wins his second AL MVP award in three seasons RAMS From Gary Klein: After the Rams hired Sean McVay in 2017, general manager Les Snead was eager to see the 30-year-old’s head-coaching process at work. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024

Like Lazarus, Cordella had few details about how the split would work, something that NBC’s sports rights partners are likely eager to hear more about. —Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English egre, from Anglo-French egre, aigre, from Latin acer — more at edge

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing eager

• eager beaver

Kids Definition

eager

adjective

ea·​ger ˈē-gər 

: having or showing an impatient or enthusiastic desire or interest

was eager to get going

eagerly adverb

eagerness noun

Etymology

Middle English egre "sharp, sour, keen," from early French aigre (same meaning), from Latin acer (same meaning) — related to vinegar