eagerness
gb/ˈiɡɚnəs/ us/ˈiɡɚnəs/
B1
English
~ 4600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
Strong desire or enthusiasm
A strong feeling of wanting to do or get something very much.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s eagerness to [do something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'eagerness' with 'urgency'. 'Eagerness' is about desire and willingness, not necessarily speed or emergency.
Synonyms
enthusiasm (Often implies excitement and enjoyment, not just desire.)
|
keenness (Similar meaning but slightly more formal or British in tone.)
Antonyms
reluctance (Indicates unwillingness or hesitation, the opposite of eagerness.)
|
apathy (Lack of interest or concern, directly opposing eagerness.)
Collocations
show eagerness
|express eagerness
|with eagerness
|eagerness to learn
|eagerness for success
Themes
emotions
|motivation
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her eagerness to start the new project was obvious to everyone.
- The children waited with eagerness for the show to begin.
- He accepted the invitation with great eagerness.
- I noticed his eagerness to help whenever someone needed it.
Learner examples
- She showed eagerness to help me.
- I saw his eagerness to play football.
- They waited with eagerness for the bus.
- We have eagerness to learn English.
Grammar
Dictionary form
eagerness
IPA
GB/ˈiɡɚnəs/
US/ˈiɡɚnəs/
Syllables & stress
eager - ness (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (eager)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: eagerness
- Plural: eagerness
Word family
Expressions
eagerness to please
1/ˈiɡɚnəs tə plˈiz/
fixed phrase
Strong wish to make others happy
A strong feeling of wanting to make other people happy or satisfied.
Examples
- His eagerness to please sometimes makes him say yes too often.
- She smiled with an eagerness to please everyone in the group.
with eagerness
1/wˈɪθ ˈiɡɚnəs/
fixed phrase
In a way that shows strong desire
In a way that shows you really want to do something or have something.
Examples
- She opened the letter with eagerness.
- The students listened with eagerness to the teacher's story.