eager
Very keen and excited to do something.
eager in a sentence
- The eager puppy bounced at the door, desperate for its morning walk.
- Hands shot up all around the classroom, everyone eager to answer the quiz question first.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to eager?
- Abored
- Bkeen
- Creluctant
- Dunwilling
Show the answer
B: keen. The other three mean the opposite of eager.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to eager?
- Aexcited
- Benthusiastic
- Ckeen
- Dunwilling
Show the answer
D: unwilling. The other three mean nearly the same as eager.
Words that mean something similar
keen, excited, enthusiastic
Words that mean the opposite
unwilling, reluctant, bored
Careful: eager is not impatient
Eager is looking forward with excitement. Impatient is being annoyed that you have to wait. Read why children mix them up.
More words about emotions & feelings
- ecstatic: So happy that you can hardly contain it.
- elated: Extremely happy and excited.
- embrace: To hug someone warmly, or to accept something new eagerly.
- enchant: To delight someone so much that it feels like magic.
- enrage: To make someone extremely angry.
- envious: Wishing you had what someone else has.
- esteem: A feeling of great respect and admiration for someone.
- exasperate: To annoy someone so much that they almost lose patience.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test