keen

adjective

\ˈkēn

Definition of keen

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : intellectually alert : having or characteristic of a quick penetrating mind a keen student a keen awareness of the problem also : shrewdly astute a keen assessment

b : extremely sensitive in perception keen eyes a keen sense of smell

c : sharply contested keen competition keen debate

2a(1) : showing a quick and ardent responsiveness : enthusiastic a keen swimmer

(2) : eager was keen to begin

b of emotion or feeling : intense the keen delight in the chase— F. W. Maitland

3 : wonderful, excellent a keen idea

4a : having a fine edge or point : sharp a knife with a keen blade

b : affecting one as if by cutting keen sarcasm

c : pungent to the sense a keen scent

keen on

: very enthusiastic or excited about wasn't keen on going

keen

verb

keened; keening; keens

Definition of keen (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : to make a loud and long cry of sorrow : to lament with a keen

b : to make a sound suggestive of a loud cry of sorrow a keening siren

2 : to lament, mourn, or complain loudly

transitive verb

: to utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry keened our sorrow — Punch

keen

noun

Definition of keen (Entry 3 of 3)

: a lamentation for the dead uttered in a loud wailing voice or sometimes in a wordless cry

Other Words from keen Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about keen

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Other Words from keen

Adjective

keenly adverb

keenness \ˈkēn-nəs

\ noun

Verb

keener noun

Choose the Right Synonym for keen

Adjective

sharp, keen, acute mean having or showing alert competence and clear understanding. sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, or sometimes questionable trickiness. sharp enough to spot a confidence game keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm, and a penetrating mind. a keen observer of the political scene acute implies a power to penetrate and may suggest subtlety and sharpness of discrimination. an acute sense of style

eager, avid, keen, anxious, athirst mean moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest. eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint. eager to get started avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed. avid for new thrills keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action. keen on the latest fashions anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment. anxious not to make a social blunder athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action. athirst for adventure

Examples of keen in a Sentence

Adjective

When you've been trying to remember something and you suddenly remember it, the mental pleasure is keen. — Ian Frazier, Atlantic, October 2004 Indeed, tobacco processors were keen to promote variety even further by saturating and mixing the cut and spun leaf with a miscellany of spices … — Simon Schama, The Embarrassment of Riches, 1988 But Mary wasn't keen on braving the Athens streets alone so Magnus went instead; Mary would do a museum in the morning. — John le Carré, A Perfect Spy, 1986 That he took a keen interest in scientific navigation is indicated by his keeping a daybook or journal (which has not survived), and by making an honest effort to determine longitude. — Samuel Eliot Morison, The European Discovery of America, 1971 The keen clear wind swept in on his left cheek, and as he bore on the helm so the Sophie answered, quicker and more nervous than he had expected. — Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander, 1970 Planting himself squarely before the two tall cowboys who were standing, he looked straight into their lean, bronzed faces. He spared a full moment for that keen cool gaze before he spoke. — Zane Grey, Desert Gold, 1913 She's a very keen observer of the political world. pilots with especially keen eyesight

Verb

mourners keening at a funeral victims of the disaster have been keening for weeks about the slowness of governmental aid

Noun

the loud keens of the widows were heard throughout the war-ravaged city

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

While Chicano Batman are on the cusp of mainstream, other brands are keen to highlight local music scenes as a way to add cultural relevance to their marketing. — Jessica Lipsky, Billboard, "LAMC: Brands, Film & TV Increasingly Looking Beyond Mainstream Latin Artists," 13 July 2018 An exhibition drawn from the museum’s permanent collection brings together portraits, figure studies and anonymous snapshots for a keen show exploring the wildly expressive nature of the human face. — Carolina A. Miranda, latimes.com, "Datebook: Shots of old Route 66, dreamlike paintings and garments fashioned from paper," 12 July 2018 But such skeptics may be ripe for conversion – now that the keen artistic awareness that insiders have long recognized in Lang Lang may well emerge with more regularity, if only because his younger self is still on the sidelines. — David Patrick Stearns, Philly.com, "Lang Lang's recovery: Will he ever play in Philly again?," 12 July 2018 British business is keen to see as smooth a Brexit as possible with as few changes as possible to current arrangements. — Peter Ford, The Christian Science Monitor, "As clock ticks down, Britain finally reveals its plan for Brexit. What now?," 11 July 2018 More from Mansion Rex Lau, a caretaker for the property, said Mr. Albee, who spent his summers there, was a keen gardener, and could be seen pruning trees well into his 80s. — Katherine Clarke, WSJ, "Hamptons Home of Playwright Edward Albee Asks $20 Million," 9 July 2018 Unfortunately for rival Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), which has its own competing cancer immunotherapy called Opdivo, investors didn’t seem too keen on its own positive trial results announced Monday. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "Merck's Bet on Cancer Immunotherapy Is Paying Off in Spades and Helping Lung Cancer Patients Live Longer," 16 Apr. 2018 The army appears to have been keen on securing Nawaz’s conviction before the elections, to damage his party. — Salman Masood, New York Times, "Nawaz Sharif Is Arrested on Return to Pakistan, Amid Turmoil and Bloodshed," 13 July 2018 Big online ad campaigns that target audiences across hundreds or more websites can cross dozens of different ad-tech middlemen, many of whom might not be keen on signing up to a blockchain consortium. — Lara O’reilly, WSJ, "Big Advertisers Embrace Blockchain to Root Out Digital Spending Waste," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Southampton are preparing a January swoop for Spartak Moscow winger Quincy Promes, with the player keen on a move to England, according to reports. — SI.com, "Southampton Fight to Take Lead Over Liverpool in Race for £30m-Rated Winger Quincy Promes," 19 Jan. 2018 The Toffees are not the only club interested in signing the midfielder though, with a number of 'top six' clubs allegedly keen. — SI.com, "Watford Reject Everton's €30m Bid for Star Player as Toffees Look to Bolster Midfield Squad Depth," 13 July 2018 His outstanding form this season has seen him shoot to prominence, with a number of clubs from around Europe keen on acquiring his services. — SI.com, "Real Madrid Closing in on €14m Deal for Highly-Rated Ukraine International Andriy Lunin," 20 June 2018 However, the Eagles are not the only club interested in Loftus-Cheek's services, with fellow Premier League sides West Ham and Everton reportedly keen on signing the 22-year-old. — SI.com, "Crystal Palace Handed Boost in Chase for Chelsea and England Star as New Season Approaches," 6 July 2018 Wilshere has also been linked with a move abroad, with Turkish Super League side Fenerbache reportedly keen on the midfielder's services. — SI.com, "Dean Ashton Urges West Ham Not to Sign International Midfielder Due to Injury Record," 6 July 2018 In the 1980s, Finland also served as convenient base for high-ranking U.S. officials keen to tap the Finns’ knowledge of the Soviet Union, often en route to Moscow. — Washington Post, "Finnish neutrality key to Helsinki hosting US-Russia summit," 28 June 2018 With President Trump keen to wipe his hands of the mess in Syria, the Russians can wait out Washington. — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, "Russia stays in the driver’s seat in Syria," 10 July 2018 The country’s breakneck economic expansion created legions of wealthy consumers keen to flaunt their newfound status. — Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, "Luxury Sales Are Rebounding in China. Just Not in Stores.," 7 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

It is reported that United are not the only side keen on Kovacic, with Juventus, Inter and Tottenham also reportedly interested in his signature. — SI.com, "Man Utd Interested in Real Madrid's Mateo Kovacic as Jose Mourinho Targets Midfield Additions," 5 Feb. 2018 Lacy, a keen and experienced motorcyclist, was killed Nov. 30 in a motorcycle crash in Botswana. — Will Higgins, Indianapolis Star, "Deaths of 2017: Indiana celebrities and 'everyday Hoosiers' we lost," 26 Dec. 2017 Fenway, an all black shorthair, was overweight, slow-moving and keen on sleeping 23 hours a day. Unless food was involved. — Stefan Stevenson, star-telegram, "Saying goodbye to a food-loving friend, Fenway the cat," 4 Nov. 2017 Well, that's a little more adventure than my Keens have seen. — Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, "The best shoes for your summer trip," 28 May 2017 His voice has the South in it, and the hysterical keen of a chainsaw. — Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, "Herman Melville, Volume I," 27 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'keen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.