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eager

1
[ee-ger]
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adjective

keen or ardent in desire or feeling; impatiently longing: I am eager for news about them. He is eager to sing.
characterized by or revealing great earnestness: an eager look.
Obsolete. keen; sharp; biting.

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RELATED WORDS

restless, thirsty, hungry, greedy, impatient, keen, ambitious, longing, hankering, yearning, earnest, intent, wild, craving, pining, acquisitive, agog, antsy, ardent, athirst

Nearby words

  1. eadred,
  2. eads,
  3. eadwig,
  4. eadwine,
  5. eagan,
  6. eager beaver,
  7. eagerly,
  8. eagle,
  9. eagle eye,
  10. eagle owl

Origin of eager

1
1250–1300; Middle English egre < Anglo-French, Old French egre, aigre < Vulgar Latin *ācrus for Latin ācer sharp
SYNONYMS FOR eager
1. enthusiastic, desirous. See avid. 2. fervent, zealous, fervid, intent, intense, earnest.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR eager ON THESAURUS.COM
ANTONYMS FOR eager
1, 2. indifferent, uninterested. 2. heedless.
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Related formsea·ger·ly, adverbea·ger·ness, noun

eager

2
[ee-ger, ey-ger]

noun Chiefly British.

eagre.

eagre

or ea·ger

[ee-ger, ey-ger]

noun Chiefly British.

a tidal bore or flood.

Origin of eagre

1640–50; apparently representing earlier agar, ager, obscurely akin to hyger, higre; (compare Anglo-Latin (12th century) higra the tidal bore of the Severn); compared with Old English ēgor, eogor flood, high tide, though preservation of g in modern forms is problematic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for eager

British Dictionary definitions for eager

eager

1

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 desirean eager look
archaic tart or biting; sharp
Derived Formseagerly, adverbeagerness, noun

Word Origin for eager

C13: from Old French egre, from Latin acer sharp, keen

noun

a variant spelling of eagre

eagre

eager

noun

a tidal bore, esp of the Humber or Severn estuary

Word Origin for eagre

C17: perhaps from Old English ēagor flood; compare Old English ēa river, water
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for eager

eager

adj.

late 13c., "strenuous, ardent, fierce, angry," from Old French aigre "sour, acid; harsh, bitter, rough; eager greedy; lively, active, forceful," from Latin acrem (nominative acer) "keen, sharp, pointed, piercing; acute, ardent, zealous" (see acrid).

Meaning "full of keen desire" (early 14c.) seems to be peculiar to English. The English word kept an alternative meaning of "pungent, sharp-edged" till 19c. (e.g. Shakespeare's "The bitter clamour of two eager tongues," in "Richard II"). Related: Eagerly; eagerness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper