He couldn't wait to start playing the game.

Meaning: The boy was so eager to play the game that he didn't want to wait any longer.

Choice of Words: Couldn't is a contraction of could not, which means to be unable to do something. Wait means to stay in one place until something happens. Start means to begin doing something. Playing means taking part in a game or sport. Game is an activity that one engages in for amusement or fun.

Alternative Expressions

He couldn't wait to start playing the game.

Meaning: This means that he was really excited to start playing the game and didn't want to wait any longer.

Choice of Words: Couldn't is a contraction of the words "could" and "not." It means that he was unable to do something. Wait means to stay in one place and not move until something happens. Start means to begin doing something. Playing is the present participle of the verb "play." Game is an activity that people do for fun. When you put all of these words together, the sentence means that he was so excited to start playing the game that he couldn't wait any longer.

He was eager to commence the game.

Meaning: This means that he was really excited to start playing the game.

Choice of Words: Eager means very excited or enthusiastic about something. Commence is a formal word that means to start or begin something. Game is an activity that people do for fun. When you put all of these words together, the sentence means that he was very excited to start playing the game.

He was dying to play the game.

Meaning: This means that he was really excited to start playing the game.

Choice of Words: Dying is a figure of speech that means to be very eager or impatient for something. Play means to do something for fun. Game is an activity that people do for fun. When you put all of these words together, the sentence means that he was very eager to start playing the game.

Related Expressions