eagerly
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of eagerly
Explanation
If you do something eagerly, you do it with much excitement and enthusiasm. When it's your turn to hit the piñata at a party, you might grab the bat eagerly because you can't wait to take a swing. If you skip breakfast and lunch, you'll eat dinner eagerly, and if you collect stamps, you might eagerly examine every stamped envelope you come across, in case you can add it to your collection. Anything done with an eager attitude is done eagerly. Interestingly, eager has changed in meaning over the years — in the 13th century it meant "fierce or angry," from the Latin acrem, "pointed, piercing, or zealous."
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.
For years, fans have been eagerly awaiting the sixth installment to the “Grand Theft Auto” franchise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
The event, which brings together the leading performers in esports ranging from computer games to chess and has been eagerly backed by MBS, is being held outside Saudi Arabia for the first time.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
But an eagerly awaited debut campaign never reached the heights many expected.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
When you see a picture of a children eagerly raising their hands in class, Ms. Watson dryly observes, the students are likely answering a teacher’s prompt, rather than raising a query.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
His hand reached out, his hot fingers clinging to Torak’s as eagerly as a child.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
