1
as in sensitive
able to sense slight impressions or differences
pilots with especially keen eyesight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
the keen wind gave me chapped lips
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3
as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
lanced the boil with a keen scalpel
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4
as in quick
having or showing quickness of mind
readers who were keen enough to realize that the writer was being satirical
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5
as in excellent
of the very best kind
that new digital camera sure is keen
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6
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest
a keen hunger for fame and fortune in the fashion industry
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7
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
movies gave him keen enjoyment like nothing else
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as in wail
a crying out in grief
the loud keens of the widows were heard throughout the war-ravaged city
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of keen
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
While novelty is important, consistency is also seen as key, with buyers keen to monitor young brands’ progression season after season.
—Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2025
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for keen
Adjective
Originally developed in Germany in the late 19th century, the boxer was bred for hunting, guarding, and later for military and police work, which can make some sense of why the boxer in the video clip was so keen to observe the camera.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
While novelty is important, consistency is also seen as key, with buyers keen to monitor young brands’ progression season after season.
—Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 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
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
See All Example Sentences for keen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keen
Adjective
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Avoid posting sensitive information like travel plans, birthdays or financial updates on social media.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The Creature, who remains nameless throughout the novel, develops into a sensitive and inquisitive soul, yet one shunned by the world for his appearance.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But usually the administration official doesn’t fight back in such a biting way.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Over nearly three decades, Baumbach has built a career chronicling families in crisis and artists at the crossroads, his films combining biting wit with an unflinching emotional honesty.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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His positioning and reading of the game remain sharp, his footwork is clean, and his reactions are quick.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Wetkiss Knee-High Boots Lorelai's shoe collection is as memorable as her quick wit, and nothing says cool-weather quite like a pair of boots.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Steelers will have an opportunity to get back on track against an excellent Green Bay Packers squad next Sunday, before playing the Indianapolis Colts two days before the NFL trade deadline.—
Jon Conahan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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That’s because tipping isn’t in their culture, but Americans still might wish to add gratuity for excellent service.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Both backs seemed excited about employing more pony looks.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
He could also be seen nodding his approval after the dance — and earning a thunderous round of excited shouts from the audience.—
Stephanie Wenger,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Thus, current fears reinforce a pre-existing localism, and infuse it with new and intense emotions.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
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After at least half a decade of acute concern about the way that platforms such as Instagram may affect young people, as well as intense debate about how best to keep kids safe online, Meta has arrived at a label that was invented in the 1980s because parents were upset by movies such as Gremlins.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Yet beneath this veneer, the wail of sirens, the hurried stamp of feet into basements and the slam of shelter doors have become just as familiar.—
Sonal Nain,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
-
John Corigliano’s First Symphony, which Gustavo Dudamel and the New York Philharmonic presented early in the new season, begins with a blistering wail of orchestral rage.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Police body cam footage recreates the months that led up to the tragic shooting, reconstructing the tale of a woman who frequently complained about the neighborhood's kids and hurled racial slurs at them before claiming the life of one of their mothers.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
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For example, the brand had to reissue and had to rebrand its peptide lip treatment after customers complained about the texture.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Keen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keen. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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