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eagerness

American  
[ee-ger-nis] / ˈi gər nɪs /

noun

  1. in an earnest, ardent, or eager way; keenness.

    The professor’s love for the topic, and her eagerness to share it with others, comes across in every word of every lecture.

Etymology

Origin of eagerness

eager ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

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.

Interestingly, despite her apparent eagerness to hold on to her California property, Simpson had previously expressed a desire to quit the Golden State once and for all.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

“Children’s eagerness to eat was a cross-class phenomenon then,” she relates, “just as pickiness is a cross-class phenomenon now.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Numerous studies have found that in its eagerness to agree with the user, the model validated unhealthy or dangerous behaviour, and even led people to delusional thinking.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

His performance is pure puppy, from the way he silently studies Ray’s silent cues to the eagerness with which he leaps up to fetch Ray a beer.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026

All her irritation and confusion disappeared in her eagerness.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

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.