eager
Americanadjective
-
keen or ardent in desire or feeling; impatiently longing.
I am eager for news about them. He is eager to sing.
- Synonyms:
- interested, desirous, enthusiastic
- Antonyms:
- uninterested, indifferent, apathetic
-
characterized by or revealing great earnestness.
an eager look.
-
Obsolete. keen; sharp; biting.
adjective
-
(postpositive; often foll by to or for) impatiently desirous (of); anxious or avid (for)
he was eager to see her departure
-
characterized by or feeling expectancy or great desire
an eager look
-
archaic tart or biting; sharp
noun
Related Words
See avid.
Other Word Forms
- eagerly adverb
- eagerness noun
Etymology
Origin of eager
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English egre, from Anglo-French, Old French egre, aigre, from Vulgar Latin (unattested) ācrus for Latin ācer “sharp”
Compare meaning
How does eager compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The audience — filled with both critics and early viewers with a ticket to an advanced screening — was eager to see what Cregger’s mysterious film had in store for them.
From Salon
Investors in the companies’ common stock, which trades on OTC Markets, are eager for news after the administration floated the possibility of a new public offering in 2025.
From Barron's
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung left for China on Sunday, eager to boost economic ties with Seoul's largest trading partner while keeping a lid on potentially explosive issues such as Taiwan.
From Barron's
A crowd of Silicon Valley startups like 1X and Figure, other manufacturers like Hyundai’s Boston Dynamics, and Chinese robotics companies are eager to sell their robots that can fold laundry or manufacture vehicles.
FA Cup holders Palace, 10th in the Premier League table, travel to Newcastle eager to end a six-match winless run in all competitions.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
