1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

keen 1 of 3

adjective

ˈkēn How to pronounce keen (audio)
Definition of keennext
1
as in sensitive
able to sense slight impressions or differences pilots with especially keen eyesight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin the keen wind gave me chapped lips

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something lanced the boil with a keen scalpel

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in quick
having or showing quickness of mind readers who were keen enough to realize that the writer was being satirical

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in excellent
of the very best kind that new digital camera sure is keen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest a keen hunger for fame and fortune in the fashion industry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect movies gave him keen enjoyment like nothing else

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

keen

2 of 3

noun

as in wail
a crying out in grief the loud keens of the widows were heard throughout the war-ravaged city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

keen

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely victims of the disaster have been keening for weeks about the slowness of governmental aid

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to howl
to make a long loud mournful sound mourners keening for the victims of the bombing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective keen contrast with its synonyms?

The words acute and sharp are common synonyms of keen. While all three words mean "having or showing alert competence and clear understanding," keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm, and a penetrating mind.

a keen observer of the political scene

In what contexts can acute take the place of keen?

The meanings of acute and keen largely overlap; however, acute implies a power to penetrate and may suggest subtlety and sharpness of discrimination.

an acute sense of style

When would sharp be a good substitute for keen?

While the synonyms sharp and keen are close in meaning, sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, or sometimes questionable trickiness.

sharp enough to spot a confidence game

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of keen
Adjective
The royal household also remembered the late princess as someone who was passionate about athletics and a keen spectator of sporting events, including skiing. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 Alongside the keen sport and film interests of some members of the group, there were two people who had studied ancient history and were looking for an in-depth visit of some archaeological sites. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
The keen-eyed among our readers will notice that the ROG glasses are largely the same inside and out as the Xreal One Pro, which cost $649. — New Atlas, 19 May 2026 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
Verb
Of course, Plant also used those keening high notes to express an appetite for destruction. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for keen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keen
  1. sensitive
  2. biting
  3. sharp
  4. quick
  5. excellent
  6. excited
  7. intense
  8. wail
Adjective
  • Reputation work can involve sensitive information about executives, companies and disputes.
    — Scott Keever, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Aestura’s Atobarrier365 Cream is a K-beauty go-to, lauded by shoppers with dry-slash-sensitive skin for its moisturizing and barrier-boosting perks.
    — Sophie Dunne, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • The pacing is more frenetic, the narration more biting, the flashbacks more jarring, and the comedowns much harsher.
    — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
  • Described as a biting political thriller in the tradition of Wild in the Streets and V for Vendetta, The Hunted is set in a dystopian America where trans people are brutalized and erased to the margins of society.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 June 2026
Definition of biting
Adjective
  • The effort to keep the analysis secret also has drawn sharp reaction from critics as the latest in a long line of Florida government attempts to protect and bolster insurers.
    — Skyler Swisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • It’s packed with flavor from the cream cheese, sharp cheddar, jalapeños, and spicy sausage (and don’t forget the barbecue sauce).
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of sharp
Adjective
  • Reatil and quick-service restaurants can audit drive-thru bottlenecks, analyze foot traffic and flag point-of-sale (POS) anomalies.
    — Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The war, which Putin launched expecting a quick and complete victory, was not an accident.
    — MICHAEL KIMMAGE, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • An individual company can maintain excellent controls and favorable claims experience while still facing higher pricing because the market has deteriorated around it.
    — Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Food and drink The property’s on-site restaurant serves decent New American fare in a room that offers the same excellent views as the penthouses, or on the hotel’s delightful terrace during the warmer months.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of excellent
Adjective
  • A student who is excited about an experiment is still learning.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Based on a straw poll of curators, collectors, and rival dealers at a spree of events last week, this is the show everyone’s most excited to see in Chelsea this fall.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of excited
Adjective
  • Ukrainian officials are expecting another winter of intense Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, a tactic Moscow has employed each winter of the full-scale invasion in a bid to freeze the country into submission.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In his research for both projects, his mood boards filled up with references to periods of intense cultural flowering cut short—Weimar Germany, 1970s Iran, Cuba in the ’50s, and New York City before the AIDS crisis.
    — Sean Santiago, Architectural Digest, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of intense
Noun
  • Feverish with feeling, the women scream, wail and sob, each one experiencing her misery multiply in real time as the remaining two look on in disdain.
    — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Geddy Lee, Rush No bassist’s singing voice has ever created a more pronounced contrast with his instrument than Rush’s Geddy Lee, who moved the piercing wail of influences like Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant up another octave.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of wail

Phrases Containing keen

Browse Nearby Words

keels (over)
keen
keened
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Keen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keen. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of elegiac

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All