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
a keen sense of smell
He has a keen eye for details. [=he is good at noticing details]
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. Maitland3
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
4
dated
: wonderful, excellent
a keen idea
see also peachy keen
keenly
adverb
They were keenly aware of the approaching deadline.
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
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 Web
Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
When the movie was being wrapped up, Robertson claims Helm wasn’t keen on shooting the additional soundstage footage that featured the Staple Singers and Emmylou Harris, and would have preferred to keep the extra cash for themselves.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
The aunties kneel and sway and hug on the living-room floor, keening dramatically one minute, chuckling over their cellphones the next.
—Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for keen
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
These refugees were overwhelmingly keen to return to their old homes—a right recognized by the UN in General Assembly Resolution 194 but continuously denied by Israel.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
When the movie was being wrapped up, Robertson claims Helm wasn’t keen on shooting the additional soundstage footage that featured the Staple Singers and Emmylou Harris, and would have preferred to keep the extra cash for themselves.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
Her lack of emotion baffles the people around her, who expect, or even require, keening expressions of grief.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
The aunties kneel and sway and hug on the living-room floor, keening dramatically one minute, chuckling over their cellphones the next.
—Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
The song finds Abstract continuing to explore the contours of indie and alternative rock, with a simmering lo-fi guitar riff that gives way to the uneasy keen of a synth.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for keen
Cite this Entry
“Keen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keen. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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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