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

Gardening may be a solo endeavor but it is backed by a community of hard-working people who are usually eager to share advice and, come July, a zucchini or three. —Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026

But with fat’s waning popularity, Americans were eager to ditch those thick hunks of red meat for lighter poultry. —Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 May 2026

Streeting, who was thought the most eager to break cover, walked into Downing Street for an early-morning confrontation with the Prime Minister. —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026

Still, despite the escalating rivalry, neither Washington nor Beijing appears eager for a direct confrontation. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 14 May 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