keen

adjective \ ˈkēn \

Definition of keen

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

3 :wonderful, excellent

a keen idea

4 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

—

keenness

play \ˈkēn-nəs\ noun

— keen on

:very enthusiastic or excited about

wasn't keen on going

See keen defined for English-language learners

See keen defined for kids

Examples of keen in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of keen from the Web

There’s no crime in being popular; the world will always take a keen interest in beautiful and charismatic young women, and the power of female magnetism predates the internet.

— liesl schillinger, Town & Country, "We Are Living In The Age of Influence," 7 Aug. 2017
Yet while questioning the wisdom of Leopold’s decision, George never doubted that his cousin was following his conscience and keen sense of duty in staying behind.

— Longreads, "Whose Fault Was Dunkirk?," 7 Aug. 2017
The book is expected to go to auction this coming week, and all the major publishing houses have expressed keen interest …

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Only 1 in 4 Americans strongly support Trump," 17 July 2017
As more than one keen observer has noted, exactly one state falls into this category.

— michelle cottle, The Atlantic, "Mitch McConnell's Heavy Health-Care Lift," 16 July 2017
Strong points: Sworn so far seems keen to take its time with cases.

— anne t. donahue, Cosmopolitan, "9 True Crime Podcasts That Will Haunt You All Summer Long," 10 July 2017
Cohn—possessed of a keen intellect, unlike Trump—could keep a jury spellbound.

— marie brenner, The Hive, "How Donald Trump and Roy Cohn’s Ruthless Symbiosis Changed America," 4 July 2017
The year before, Walmart had tried to buy the mall and turn it into a supercenter, but residents were not keen on the idea and the City Council scuttled the plan with zoning requirements that made big-box retail impossible.

— steve vockrodt, kansascity.com, "Mission Gateway: Project proposals come and go, but construction never starts," 3 July 2017
The league has had a couple ugly brawls this year and is not keen on more bad blood that lingers and possibly gets players hurt.

— kevin acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Calling Padres manager Green soft is silly, short-sighted," 21 June 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.

Origin and Etymology of keen

Middle English kene brave, sharp, from Old English cēne brave; akin to Old High German kuoni brave

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

keen Synonyms

Synonyms

delicate, fine, acute, perceptive, quick, sensitive, sharp

Antonyms

blunt, blunted, dull, dulled, obtuse

Related Words

accurate, clear, discerning, good, piercing, precise, receptive, sensible, subtle; hair-trigger, hyperacute, hypersensitive, oversensitive, supersensitive

Near Antonyms

bad, deadened, dimmed, dull, dulled, fading; dead, imperceptive, insensible, insensitive, numb; imprecise, inaccurate

Synonym Discussion of keen

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

keen

verb

Definition of keen

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

:to utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry

keened our sorrow
—Punch

—

keener

noun

See keen defined for English-language learners

Examples of keen in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of keen from the Web

Dozens swooned, cried, keened and passed out from the heat outside the mansion gates.

— olivia b. waxman, Time, "Read TIME's 1977 Obituary for Elvis Presley," 16 Aug. 2017
Annapurna Pictures’ first feature film release can’t help but stir plenty of sympathetic attention in the press and among political activists, but audiences keen to put themselves through this wringer will remain somewhat limited.

— Detroit Free Press, "‘Detroit’: What other film critics are saying," 27 July 2017
One alpaca keened throughout the five-minute ordeal.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Morning Beckons Farm Hosts Alpaca Shearing Contest," 5 July 2017
But with trade unions keen to defend their members and the government preoccupied with potential unrest within the ruling coalition, the unwinding of the labor pact is not beyond the realm of possibility.

— raine tiessalo, Bloomberg.com, "Devaluation Proves Its Use in Finland With a Little Outside Help," 15 June 2017
Unlike beams of tinnitus, these keening, distortionlike sounds were a sign of healthy ears.

— seth colter walls, New York Times, "Reviving the Ghostly Sounds of Maryanne Amacher," 19 May 2017
One hears keening string parts, startling brass outbursts, otherworldly writing for piano, cimbalom, cellos and double basses.

— georgia rowe, The Mercury News, "‘Gospel According to the Other Mary’ contemporizes the biblical tale," 17 Feb. 2017
Featuring solos by trumpeter Mike Rodriguez and alto saxophonist Dave Pietro, the tune built to a dense cacophony, with plucked piano strings and keening accordion evoking the mechanized, nonstop flow of electrons.

— dan emerson, Twin Cities, "In jazz-orchestra performance, New York composer shows her Minnesota roots," 17 Feb. 2017
Wynn Rutberg was 3-years old when she was first charmed by the keening wail of a fiddle during a visit to the National Western Stock Show’s Colorado Fiddle Championship.

— tom mcghee, The Denver Post, "Colorado Fiddle Championship now a staple of National Western Stock Show," 6 Jan. 2017

Origin and Etymology of keen

Irish caoinim I lament, weep

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1845

See Words from the same year

keen Synonyms

Synonyms

beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, inveigh, complain, kick, kvetch, maunder [chiefly British], moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, whinge [British], yammer, yawp (or yaup), yowl

Antonyms

crow, delight, rejoice

Related Words

object (to), protest, quarrel (with); cavil, quibble; fret, stew, worry; blubber, cry, sob; bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament

Near Antonyms

accept, bear, countenance, endure, take, tolerate; applaud, cheer, commend

keen

noun

Definition of keen

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

Examples of keen in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of keen from the Web

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

Origin and Etymology of keen

see ¹keen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1830

See Words from the same year

keen Synonyms

Synonyms

groan, howl, lament, lamentation, moan, plaint, wail

Antonyms

exultation, rejoicing

Related Words

cry, sob, tears; agonizing, grieving, mourning, sorrowing, suffering, weeping; hand-wringing, regret; complaint, cri de coeur, outcry, protest; anguish, dolor, grief, heartache, heartbreak, sorrow, woe

Near Antonyms

cheering, laughing, smiling

KEEN Defined for English Language Learners

keen

adjective

Definition of keen for English Language Learners

: having or showing an ability to think clearly and to understand what is not obvious or simple about something
: very strong and sensitive : highly developed
: very excited about and interested in something

keen

verb

Definition of keen for English Language Learners

: to make a loud and long cry of sorrow

KEEN Defined for Kids

keen

adjective \ ˈkēn \

Definition of keen for Students

keener; keenest

1 :having a fine edge or point :sharp

a keen knife

2 :having or showing mental sharpness

a keen observation

3 :very sensitive (as in seeing, smelling, or hearing)

keen eyesight

4 :full of enthusiasm :eager

… everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened …
—J. K. Rowling, Goblet of Fire

5 :seeming to cut or sting

a keen wind

—

keenly

adverb

—

keenness

noun

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keen

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keener

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keen

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