adj · name · noun · verb · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈiɡɚ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈiːɡə/
US, dialectal:/ˈɪɡɚ/
US, dialectal:/ˈɪɡə/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːɡə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:IY1 G ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Desirous; keen to do or obtain something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Stacey is very eager to go cycling this weekend.
The hounds were eager in the chase.
I was eager to show my teacher how much I'd learned over the holidays.
You stayed up all night to get to the front of the queue. You must be very eager to get tickets.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Not employing lazy evaluation; calculating results immediately, rather than deferring calculation until they are required.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Sharp; sour; acid.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Qualifier: literal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Sharp; keen; bitter; severe.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
name
Meaning 6
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Alternative form of eagre (“tidal bor”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To be or become eager.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
To express eagerness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
verb
Meaning 10
To make or encourage to be eager
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
adjective
Meaning 11
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
eager to learn
eager to travel abroad
eager for success
eager helpers
an eager look
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: uneager
12
noun
Meaning 12
a high wave (often dangerous) caused by tidal flow (as by colliding tidal currents or in a narrow estuary)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tidal bore, bore, eagre, aegir
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: tidal flow, tidal current
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2eḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *h2eḱrós Proto-Italic *akris Classical Latin ācer Late Latin ācrus Old French aigrebor. Middle English egre English eager Inherited from Middle English egre, eger, from Old French aigre, egre (modern French aigre), from Latin ācrus, variant of ācer (“sharp, keen”); see acid, acerb, etc. Compare vinegar, alegar.
See eagre.
Across languages
Translations
84 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
gretig
— wanting something very much
Arabic:
مُشْتَاق
(muštāq)
— wanting something very much
Armenian:
եռանդուն
(eṙandun)
— wanting something very much
Belarusian:
нецярплі́вы
(njecjarplívy)
— wanting something very much
Bulgarian:
нетърпели́в
(netǎrpelív)
— wanting something very much
Bulgarian:
си́лно жела́ещ
(sílno želáešt)
— wanting something very much
Catalan:
delerós
— wanting something very much
Catalan:
àvid
— wanting something very much
Catalan:
impacient
— wanting something very much
Catalan:
ansiós
— wanting something very much
Catalan:
desitjós
— wanting something very much
Chinese Mandarin:
急於 /急于
(jíyú)
— wanting something very much
Czech:
dychtivý
— wanting something very much
Dutch:
begerig
— wanting something very much
Esperanto:
avida
— wanting something very much
Finnish:
hanakka
— wanting something very much
Finnish:
innokas
— wanting something very much
Finnish:
kärkäs
— wanting something very much
Finnish:
halukas
— wanting something very much
French:
désireux
— wanting something very much
French:
enthousiaste
— wanting something very much
French:
impatient
— wanting something very much
German:
begierig
— wanting something very much
German:
gierig
— wanting something very much
German:
eifrig
— wanting something very much
Ancient Greek:
πρόθυμος
(próthumos)
— wanting something very much
Ancient Greek:
μετέωρος
(metéōros)
— wanting something very much
Hindi:
तत्पर
(tatpar)
— wanting something very much
Hindi:
आतुर
(ātur)
— wanting something very much
Hindi:
उत्सुक
(utsuk)
— wanting something very much
Hungarian:
buzgó
— wanting something very much
Irish:
cíocrach
— wanting something very much
Irish:
santach
— wanting something very much
Italian:
avido
— wanting something very much
Khmer:
សម្រើបខ្លួន
(sɑmraǝp kluən)
— wanting something very much
Khmer:
ឆួល
(chuəl)
— wanting something very much
Khmer:
កន្ត្រោង
(kɑntraoŋ)
— wanting something very much
Latin:
avidus
— wanting something very much
Latin:
cupiens
— wanting something very much
Latin:
studiōsus
— wanting something very much
Macedonian:
желен
(želen)
— wanting something very much
Māori:
tūkawikawi
— wanting something very much
Norwegian:
ivrig
— wanting something very much
Polish:
chętny
— wanting something very much
Polish:
gorliwy
— wanting something very much
Polish:
niecierpliwy
— wanting something very much
Polish:
ochoczy
— wanting something very much
Polish:
przejęty
— wanting something very much
Polish:
skwapliwy
— wanting something very much
Portuguese:
ávido
— wanting something very much
Romanian:
doritor
— wanting something very much
Romanian:
amator
— wanting something very much
Romanian:
avid
— wanting something very much
Romanian:
dornic
— wanting something very much
Romanian:
nerăbdător
— wanting something very much
Russian:
жа́ждущий
(žážduščij)
— wanting something very much
Russian:
стра́стно/си́льно жела́ющий
(strástno/sílʹno želájuščij)
— wanting something very much
Russian:
рву́щийся
(rvúščijsja)
— wanting something very much
Russian:
нетерпели́вый
(neterpelívyj)
— wanting something very much
Sanskrit:
गृध्र
(gṛdhra)
— wanting something very much
Scots:
aiger
— wanting something very much
Scottish Gaelic:
dealasach
— wanting something very much
Scottish Gaelic:
dian
— wanting something very much
Spanish:
ilusionado
— wanting something very much
Spanish:
anhelante
— wanting something very much
Spanish:
anheloso
— wanting something very much
Spanish:
afanoso
— wanting something very much
Spanish:
turnio
— wanting something very much
Spanish:
pilas
— wanting something very much
Swedish:
ivrig
— wanting something very much
Tocharian B:
ārwer
— wanting something very much
Turkish:
arzulu
— wanting something very much
Ukrainian:
нетерпля́чий
(neterpljáčyj)
— wanting something very much
Ukrainian:
нетерпели́вий
(neterpelývyj)
— wanting something very much
