eager beaver

[ ee-ger ]
See synonyms for eager beaver on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person who is excessively diligent or overly zealous.

Origin of eager beaver

1
An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Words Nearby eager beaver

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use eager beaver in a sentence

  • Staying late would give her the reputation of an eager beaver, and that would make her unpopular.

    Hex | Laurence Mark Janifer (AKA Larry M. Harris)

British Dictionary definitions for eager beaver

eager beaver

noun
  1. informal a person who displays conspicuous diligence, esp one who volunteers for extra work

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with eager beaver

eager beaver

An exceptionally zealous person, one who habitually takes on more tasks or works harder than others. For example, Bill is a real eager beaver, always volunteering to stay late. This expression became especially popular during World War II, applied to recruits anxious to impress their commanding officers by such behavior. [First half of 1900s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.