Revised 2018
eagernessnoun
Factsheet
What does the noun eagerness mean?
There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun eagerness, five of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the noun eagerness?
About 3occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 6.8 |
| 1760 | 7.8 |
| 1770 | 9.6 |
| 1780 | 11 |
| 1790 | 12 |
| 1800 | 12 |
| 1810 | 11 |
| 1820 | 11 |
| 1830 | 10 |
| 1840 | 8.8 |
| 1850 | 8.3 |
| 1860 | 7.9 |
| 1870 | 7.7 |
| 1880 | 7.5 |
| 1890 | 7.4 |
| 1900 | 7.0 |
| 1910 | 6.6 |
| 1920 | 6.0 |
| 1930 | 5.5 |
| 1940 | 4.8 |
| 1950 | 4.1 |
| 1960 | 3.5 |
| 1970 | 3.0 |
| 1980 | 2.5 |
| 1990 | 2.4 |
| 2000 | 2.4 |
| 2010 | 2.5 |
How is the noun eagerness pronounced?
British English
/ˈiːɡənəs/
EE-guh-nuhss
U.S. English
/ˈiɡərnəs/
EE-guhr-nuhss
Where does the noun eagerness come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the noun eagerness is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for eagerness is from before 1400, in Prose Life Christ.
eagerness is formed within English, by derivation.
Etymons: eager adj., ‑ness suffix.
Nearby entries
- e-address, n.1985–
- eadilaik, n.c1175
- eadily, adv.Old English–1225
- eadiness, n.Old English–1250
- eady, adj.Old English–1350
- eager, adj.?a1300–
- eager, v.?a1400–
- eager beaver, n. & adj.1942–
- eager-dulce, adj.1548
- eagerly, adv.c1300–
- eagerness, n.a1400–
- eager-sweet, adj.1600–
- eagle, n.c1350–
- eagle, v.1637–
- eagle button, n.1808–
- eagle-cock, n.1694–
- eagled, adj.?1585–
- eagle eye, n.1567–
- eagle-eyed, adj.a1475–
- eagle feather, n.a1398–
- eagle fisher, n.1801–
Etymology
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Meaning & use
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Pronunciation
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Forms
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Frequency
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Compounds & derived words
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Entry history for eagerness, n.
eagerness, n. was revised in January 2018.
eagerness, n. was last modified in March 2024.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into eagerness, n. in March 2024.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1891)
OED Second Edition (1989)
Cite
Chicago
Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
Copied to clipboard
MLA9
“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .
Copied to clipboard
Contribute
Citation details
Factsheet for eagerness, n.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- e-address, n.1985–
- eadilaik, n.c1175
- eadily, adv.Old English–1225
- eadiness, n.Old English–1250
- eady, adj.Old English–1350
- eager, adj.?a1300–
- eager, v.?a1400–
- eager beaver, n. & adj.1942–
- eager-dulce, adj.1548
- eagerly, adv.c1300–
- eagerness, n.a1400–
- eager-sweet, adj.1600–
- eagle, n.c1350–
- eagle, v.1637–
- eagle button, n.1808–
- eagle-cock, n.1694–
- eagled, adj.?1585–
- eagle eye, n.1567–
- eagle-eyed, adj.a1475–
- eagle feather, n.a1398–
- eagle fisher, n.1801–
