eager

adjective

ea·​ger ˈē-gər 

1

: marked by enthusiastic or impatient desire or interest

2

a

archaic : sharp

b

obsolete : sour

eagerly adverb

eagerness noun

Synonyms of eager

• excited
• enthusiastic
• avid
• anxious
• keen

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of eager in a Sentence

… wine connoisseurs eager to visit cellars and late-fall pilgrims seeking the increasingly rare white truffle … —Corby Kummer, Atlantic, August 2000

… 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

She was eager to get started.

The crowd was eager for more.

Recent Examples on the Web

The king had personally invited the players immediately after their elimination from the World Cup, eager to thank them for giving the country one of the most significant achievements in the history of Norwegian soccer. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026

The retired schoolteacher had ridden at the more than 27,000-acre off-road area numerous times before and was eager to try out her new bike, a gray-and-white Kawasaki KLX 300R dirt bike, according to the outlets. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

Spain, on the other hand, are reigning European champions, eager to play their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 14 July 2026

So a power company is likely to be eager to capitalize on the opportunity for a new major customer and may be willing to endure some amount of public backlash. — Laura Mullenbach, Fortune, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing eager

• eager beaver

Rhymes for eager

• leaguer
• meager
• meagre
• segar

Kids Definition

eager

adjective

ea·​ger ˈē-gər 

: having or showing an impatient or enthusiastic desire or interest

was eager to get going

eagerly adverb

eagerness noun

Etymology

Middle English egre "sharp, sour, keen," from early French aigre (same meaning), from Latin acer (same meaning) — related to vinegar