Eagerness
n.energetic, hopefuleveryday
What it means
A strong, willing desire to begin, learn, or participate.
Reach for it when naming positive motivation before the action has fully started
His eagerness to improve showed in every careful question.
Choose between these
6- playful
when cheerful energy colors the participation
not when Zest describes spirited enjoyment, not specifically anticipation before beginning.
- everyday
when strong interest is expressed in a restrained way
not when Outside British usage, keenness may sound unusual or suggest sharpness.
- warm
when lively interest continues during the activity
not when Enthusiasm may concern an idea without creating readiness to act.
- professional
when preparedness is more important than desire
not when A person can be ready through obligation while feeling no eagerness.
- formal
when voluntary consent deserves recognition
not when Willingness is a lower emotional bar and may mean only absence of refusal.
- literary
appetite
when desire for more experience or challenge is vivid
not when The metaphor can sound acquisitive when the subject is service or care.
Said against
4- reluctance
- apathy
- indifference
- unwillingness
It naturally appears in
3- eagerness to learn
Her eagerness to learn made the unfamiliar controls less intimidating.
- childlike eagerness
He approached the telescope with childlike eagerness and patient care.
- renewed eagerness
The early breakthrough gave the researchers renewed eagerness for the next trial.
The word family
2Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English noun, sense naming the state of being eager opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.