1
a
: 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
2
a(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
F. W. Maitland4
a
: 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
keenly
adverb
keened; keening; keens
1
a
: 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
: to utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry
keened our sorrow—Punch
Punch
keener
noun
: a lamentation for the dead uttered in a loud wailing voice or sometimes in a wordless cry
Synonyms
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
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 WebChristian Edwards, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, other eVTOL taxi companies are keen to take off in the near future.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2024
Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
He’s been lauded for sounding like a vestige of another age — his supple, keening tenor the result of years of apprenticeship to the Pakistani artists Ustad Saami and Farida Khanum.
—Emily Lordi Philip Cheung, New York Times, 10 May 2024
Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
The wind shrieks and keens all night, and so does the mockingbird, precluding sleep.
—Edan Lepucki, The Atlantic, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for keen 
Adjective
Brussels, keen to stem Russia’s influence in former Soviet countries, put Georgia – along with Ukraine and Moldova – on an accelerated path to membership.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, other eVTOL taxi companies are keen to take off in the near future.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
The sport's powerhouse India did not want to host another event, with Zimbabwe - emerging as a destination for major tournaments - and Sri Lanka keen but bypassed for the UAE, a reliable alternative that doubles as headquarters for the sport's governing body.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
He’s been lauded for sounding like a vestige of another age — his supple, keening tenor the result of years of apprenticeship to the Pakistani artists Ustad Saami and Farida Khanum.
—Emily Lordi Philip Cheung, New York Times, 10 May 2024
Noun
Benjamin Wallfisch’s score keens and groans ominously, sometimes dipping into synthy electronic moments.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
The wind shrieks and keens all night, and so does the mockingbird, precluding sleep.
—Edan Lepucki, The Atlantic, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for keen
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'keen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Keen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keen. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
keen
1 of 3 adjective1
: having a sharp edge or point
a keen knife
2
: seeming to cut or sting
a keen wind
3
: full of enthusiasm
keen about baseball
4
a
: having or showing mental sharpness
a keen mind
b
: very sensitive (as in seeing or hearing)
keen eyesight
5
: very nice : wonderful
gee, that's keen
keenly
adverb
keen
2 of 3 verb
: to mourn in a loud wailing voice
keen
3 of 3 noun
: a mourning for the dead with loud wails
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