TKG English Learner's Dictionary

eager

eageradjective

American /ˈi.ɡɚ/ British /ˈiː.ɡə/
comparative with more
fairly common

  1. wanting very much to do or have something, often in an excited way

    comparative with more [more]

    Collocations

    adjective + preposition eager for
    phrase eager to please, eager to learn, eager to help, eager to start
    adverb + adjective very eager, only too eager

    Synonyms keen

Word family

  • eagerly
  • eagerness

Choosing between eager · keen · anxious

Eager shows excitement about something you want: eager to see the new house. Keen means much the same and is more common in British English; it can also mean liking an activity: a keen cook. Anxious to also means wanting something, but adds a feeling of worry: anxious to hear from the doctor.

Common mistakes

They were eager of success. They were eager for success.
Eager is followed by for and a noun, or by a to-infinitive: eager to succeed.

For translators

Grammar trap Eager is followed by a to-infinitive (eager to leave) or by for and a noun (eager for change). It is not followed directly by an -ing form: eager to start, not eager starting.