eagerly

American

[ee-ger-lee] / ˈi gər li /

adverb

in a way that shows keen interest or fervent, often impatient desire or feeling.

On my first visit, the receptionist eagerly gave me a tour of the facilities, enthusiastically pointing out all the state-of-the-art equipment.

Etymology

Origin of eagerly

eager ( def. ) + -ly

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."

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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.

My husband and I eagerly answered my cell, expecting another joyful visit with our granddaughter.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

The 2025-26 Broadway season was characterized by long fallow periods interrupted by an onslaught of eagerly awaited openings.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

From his perch heading the influential tech incubator Y Combinator, his oracle-like pronouncements on Twitter were eagerly consumed by budding start-up founders.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

And it’s not just sportsbooks that are eagerly promoting parlays.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

He didn’t know where they came from, but he read them from cover to cover and eagerly waited for the next batch.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023