Meaning & use
eagerly
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Meanings
adverbnot comparable
With strong interest and excitement, wanting something to happen or to begin soon.
Grammar: Goes with verbs such as wait, await, ask and nod; it can come before or after the verb.
Patterns
- eagerly await something
- eagerly wait for something
- eagerly agree to something
The children eagerly waited for the ice cream truck.
Fans eagerly await the release of the new album.
She eagerly accepted the invitation to join the team.
adverbcomparable
In a keen and energetic way, showing that you are ready to take part.
Grammar: Describes how someone does something; more eagerly is possible.
Patterns
- listen eagerly
- read eagerly
The students listened eagerly to the astronaut's story.
He opened the box eagerly and lifted out a toy train.
The puppy eagerly followed her around the kitchen.
Word forms
| comparative | more eagerly |
|---|---|
| superlative | most eagerly |
Common combinations
- eagerly await
- Customers eagerly await the new phone.
- eagerly anticipated
- The film is the most eagerly anticipated release of the year.
- eagerly accept
- He eagerly accepted the job offer.
- eagerly nod
- The kids eagerly nodded when asked if they wanted cake.
- wait eagerly
- We waited eagerly outside the stadium.
Synonyms and how they differ
- enthusiastically
- Enthusiastically focuses on visible excitement, while eagerly focuses on wanting something to come soon.
- keenly
- Keenly is more reserved and often British, and suggests sharp interest rather than excitement.
- avidly
- Avidly suggests a strong, lasting appetite, as in reading avidly, while eagerly can be a short burst of excitement.
- impatiently
- Impatiently adds irritation at having to wait, whereas eagerly is positive.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: eagerly or anxiously?
eagerly vs anxiously
Anxiously means worriedly. Eagerly is positive anticipation, so do not use anxiously when you mean excitedly.
Practice
The whole town ___ awaited the result of the vote.
Choose one answer.
An adverb is needed to modify the verb awaited, so eagerly is correct. Eager is an adjective and eagerness is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eagerly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.