eager

ea·ger

adj \ˈē-gər\

Definition of EAGER

1

a archaic : sharp b obsolete : sour

2

: marked by enthusiastic or impatient desire or interest

— ea·ger·ly adverb

— ea·ger·ness noun

Examples of EAGER

1. She was eager to get started.
2. The crowd was eager for more.
3. … wine connoisseurs eager to visit cellars and late-fall pilgrims seeking the increasingly rare white truffle … —Corby Kummer, Atlantic, August 2000
4. … so many religions were steeped in an absolutist frame of mind—each convinced that it alone had a monopoly on the truth and therefore eager for the state to impose this truth on others. —Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World, 1996

Origin of EAGER

Middle English egre, from Anglo-French egre, aigre, from Latin acer — more at edge

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to EAGER

Synonyms: agog, antsy, anxious, ardent, athirst, avid, crazy, desirous, enthused, enthusiastic, excited, geeked [slang], great, greedy, gung ho, hepped up, hopped-up, hot, hungry, impatient, juiced, keen, nuts, pumped, raring, solicitous, stoked [slang], thirsty, voracious, wild, champing at the bit, chomping at the bit

Antonyms: apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic

Related Words: engaged, interested; happy, hung up, obsessed; ambitious, appetent, covetous, craving, hankering, longing, pining; breathless, restive, restless; amenable, disposed, game, glad, inclined, ready, unreluctant, willing

Near Antonyms: casual, incurious, insouciant, nonchalant, unconcerned, uninterested; aloof, detached, disinterested; impassive, stolid; halfhearted, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, lukewarm, spiritless; averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath (also loth or loathe), reluctant, unwilling

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Synonym Discussion of EAGER

eager, avid, keen, anxious, athirst mean moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest. eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint <eager to get started>. avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed <avid for new thrills>. keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action <keen on the latest fashions>. anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment <anxious not to make a social blunder>. athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action <athirst for adventure>.

Rhymes with EAGER

leaguer, meager