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Anxious or Eager?

January 30, 2011
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by Mignon Fogarty

To some, "anxious" has more of a negative connotation than "eager." You're eager for your long-distance boyfriend's plane to arrive, unless you're going to break up with him. Then you're more likely to be anxious for his plane to arrive so you can get it over with.

"Anxious" is evolving, though. The distinction between the two terms was much stronger in the seventeenth century. Today, many people use the words interchangeably.

I'm eager to see the dessert tray. (standard)
I'm anxious to see my ex-wife. (standard)
I'm anxious to get our new puppy. (acceptable, but sometimes disputed)

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Robert Calvanico
5/5/2012 11:29:50 AM

Hi GG:

My view: If you can eliminate any ambiguity, do it. Anxious can mean two things; eager can mean one.

I'm always "eager" to simplify!

nibor
2/7/2011 4:37:05 PM

I learned the traditional distinction many years ago and try to uphold it. But I tend to use "eager" with "to" and "anxious" with "about" (e.g., I'm eager to see the dessert tray, but I'm anxious about seeing my ex-wife). "Anxious to," as in your examples, sounds wrong to me.

Melissa
2/7/2011 12:04:02 PM

How mortifying! Typing on my phone while having the flu doesn't make for good proofreading. Anyway, you get my point....

Melissa
2/7/2011 12:01:36 PM

Whike u agree with "anxious" having a negative connotation, I find a glaring exception with the phrase "anxiously awaiting." This seems reserved for positive experiences.

Bunnyslippers
2/7/2011 11:51:20 AM

Not that simple, Daniel. People sometimes now use "anxious" to refer to the tension of anticipation, whether the anticipated event is positive or negative. I don't use it that way myself, but if you set simplistic rules about what people mean by the word "anxious", you will lose the nuances of the reality.

Jeff
2/7/2011 11:50:45 AM

Anxious is related to anxiety. Hopefully, one doesn't have too much anxiety about getting a new puppy.

Daniel Smith
2/2/2011 2:01:02 PM

Simple. Eager denotes a positive connotation and Anxious a negative one, denoting anxiety which is a form of fear.

A person looking forward to what is coming is eager. A person dreading what is coming is anxious.

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Anxious or Eager?

To some, "anxious" has more of a negative connotation than "eager." You're eager for your long-distance boyfriend's plane to arrive, unless you're going to break up with him. Then you're more likely to be anxious for his plane to arrive so you can get it over with.

"Anxious" is evolving, though. The distinction between the two terms was much stronger in the seventeenth century. Today, many people use the words interchangeably.

I'm eager to see the dessert tray. (standard)

I'm anxious to see my ex-wife. (standard)

I'm anxious to get our new puppy. (acceptable, but sometimes disputed)

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