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I'm looking for a word (or short phrase) with a more positive connotation than "bored", meaning I am actively trying to find something to do.

If context helps, I'm thinking of a scenario along the lines of "I have nothing to do for the weekend, but I want to do something so I am "????".

Any thoughts? The closest I can think of is "Itchy feet", but that is more related specifically to travelling.

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  • So I am itchy feet?
    – Arm the good guys in America
    Jul 25, 2017 at 15:28
  • "at loose ends" is an idiom expressing this idea, although not the adventure-seeking aspect.
    – Xanne
    Jul 25, 2017 at 17:33

5 Answers 5

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If you are itching for something to do you can use the adjective restless. From Cambridge Dictionaries:

restless
moving because you are unable to relax, esp. because you are worried or bored . . . .
Restless can also mean not satisfied with your situation and wanting a change

And the idiom, from MacMillan Dictionaries:

be itching for something/to do something
to feel very impatient because you want to do something immediately

The idiom is most often used when you already know what it is you want to do—the MacMillan example is "itching to get into the kitchen" and your own "itchy feet" is very similar to phrases like itching to get out of the house or itching to travel—but you can stick with the even vaguer "something" if you are just generally bored and restless, modifying it as appropriate.

So for your example, you could say:

I have nothing to do for the weekend, but I want to do something so I am restless.

or just

I am itching to do something (exciting/new/different) this weekend.

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  • I'm going to accept this as it is closest to what I am looking for, however I still think it has a slightly "negative" connotation. It's set me down a good train of thought though, thanks
    – SpoonerNZ
    Jul 27, 2017 at 12:55
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Some suggestions, which may help you to find a short phrase to express what you're looking for:

  • energized
  • motivated
  • curious
  • interested
  • open

Wanting to do something but not knowing what to do leads to exploration and discovery, so perhaps these fit your bill:

  • exploration
  • discovery

I hope these help. Good luck!

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Seeking an adventure

adventure

noun

  1. a risky undertaking of unknown outcome
  2. an exciting or unexpected event or course of events
  3. a hazardous financial operation; commercial speculation

Reverso Dictionary

This phrase directly relates to what you are actively doing, rather than how you are feeling.

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trolling

101 Ways You Can Help:

Heading to the beach? The movies? A science museum with a great exhibit on dinosaurs? Or just out trolling for something to do in the minivan?

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Antsy [ant-see] /adjective, Informal.

  1. unable to sit or stand still; fidgety.

Source: Dictionary.com

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