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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

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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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

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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

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

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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
With signs of mosaic loss of the Y chromosome prevalent in renal cell and esophageal cancers, researchers have been keen to map its appearance in tissues surrounding tumors to determine how they may be related to the disease’s progress. — Mike McRae 20, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026 Thus far, this new physics has failed to manifest at the LHC, but this only makes scientists more keen to hunt for what could represent a paradigm shift on a scale comparable to the development of Einstein's theory of general relativity. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 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
  • The ability for any app or command to control an endpoint where sensitive user speech is processed is an entirely different matter.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Most pressure-sensitive adhesives are based on polymers, long chains of repeating molecular units that become entangled with one another.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • In 2022, Lee County’s Mosquito Control District decided to try aiming radiation at mosquitoes instead, specifically the biting, disease-carrying kind — Aedes aegypti.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of biting
Adjective
  • The strikes marked a sharp escalation in fighting between the two South Asian countries and risked further complicating international efforts to ease tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
    — MUNIR AHMED, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The Aries Full Moon illuminates your 2nd house of resources, bringing income, spending, possessions, or self-worth into sharper focus.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of sharp
Adjective
  • Descano’s team has claimed prosecutions are pointless when the government’s own experts corroborate the insanity defense, while critics say his office is too quick to accept defendants’ narratives without a jury.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Dog grooming tips like these show that grooming your dog at home can go well beyond a quick wipe-down.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • Her excellent debut, 2007’s Free Food for Millionaires, features upwardly mobile Korean Americans whose desire for security Lee portrayed both sympathetically and critically.
    — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • If that feels unattainable, though, Baldino’s other spots are equally excellent and open to anyone.
    — Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of excellent
Adjective
  • Wall Street isn’t particularly excited about CagriSema, whose previous late-stage clinical trials disappointed investors because the drug showed weight loss efficacy below expectations.
    — Annika Kim Constantino,Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Winters said his mission is still driven in large part by getting kids excited about playing a violin or cello.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of excited
Adjective
  • High-intensity interval training and long-duration intense cardio spike cortisol significantly, and doing them too often without recovery can keep the hormone elevated, but rest and frequency matter more than avoidance.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This extra oceanic warmth is also likely to extend hurricane further into fall, with more intense hurricanes more likely than not through at least early November.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 22 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
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Cite this Entry

“Keen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keen. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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