eager

adjective

ea·​ger ˈē-gər How to pronounce eager (audio)
Synonyms of eager
1
: marked by enthusiastic or impatient desire or interest
2
a
archaic : sharp
b
obsolete : sour
eagerly adverb
eagerness noun

Synonyms of eager

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The revelation is the latest example of how engaging the technology — and obfuscating such use — can roil audiences eager to support new films. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026 An international team of microbiologists, engineers, and physiologists was eager to understand how heat affects cilia, and whether this could explain different types of coral death. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026 The company’s meeting rooms, named after video game characters, are buzzing with employees eager to enjoy the air-conditioning—a rare luxury in Paris. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 Horrormeister Eli Roth’s cinematic specialty is serving one flavor — Gross-Out Gore Galore — in copious scoops to an eager horror fan base. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for eager

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of eager was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing eager

Rhymes for eager

See All Rhymes for eager

Browse Nearby Words

Eagan
eager
eager beaver
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Cite this Entry

“Eager.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eager. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

eager

adjective
ea·​ger ˈē-gər How to pronounce eager (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on eager

Nglish: Translation of eager for Spanish Speakers

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