Alacrity

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈlækɹɨti/

Definitions

1. Cheerful and eager willingness to do something with quick, lively enthusiasm
2. Brisk enthusiasm and prompt readiness to engage in action with spirited vigor
3. Swift eagerness combined with lively willingness to undertake something promptly and energetically

Etymology: Latin "alacer" meant "brisk" or "lively," and it probably carried a sense of eager spirit, which is why the English word still sounds like a burst of energy rather than mere speed. Adding the Latin suffix "-itās," the source of English "-ity," produced "alacritās," a noun for that brisk readiness. English borrowed it in the mid-1400s as "alacrite," spelled and pronounced with a stronger French-style ending before settling into its modern form. The word has stayed close to its original spirit. Where many Latin-derived English words drifted toward abstraction, "alacrity" kept its sense of physical quickness and willing motion, so it describes a person who leaps to a task rather than one who simply agrees to it.

Synonyms: eagerness, readiness, willingness, enthusiasm, promptness

Antonyms: apathy, reluctance, indifference, hesitation, unwillingness