Learn English – single word for “the desire to feel useful”

single-word-requests

An example that comes to mind is, let's say, the sensation you have if you go to a party and you feel the need to make use of yourself/be productive/help the host. Or maybe when you feel underutilized at a place of employment or a volunteer activity or some such — the desire to be productive and contribute more. If that makes sense!

Best Answer

Industrious may capture the meaning you want.

constantly, regularly, or habitually active or occupied

An industrious person could be considered someone who would be unsatisfied with being undisposed. You could say a feeling of industriousness captures you when you want to go be productive.

I'm also just partial to the word "useful". When you "feel the need to make use of yourself/be productive/help the host" you want to be useful, to make yourself useful. It's really that simple. You might walk up to someone and say, "Is there anything I can do? I want to make myself useful."

Because you asked for a single word, I believe you've made this question fairly difficult to answer. There are more euphemistic alternatives like feeling like an "eager beaver", "busybody" (can be pejorative), "man/woman of action", there are a number of phrases you can use to describe this feeling.