1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
the keenness of the knife should tell you that it was sharpened recently a writer famous for the keenness of her wit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enthusiasm
urgent desire or interest
was looking forward to his birthday party with the keenness of a youngster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters
had the financial keenness to know that the stock was overvalued
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in sensitiveness
the state or quality of being able to sense slight impressions or differences
there's an enhanced keenness of hearing that young mothers seem to develop
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 keenness
The talks signal keenness by both countries to maintain regular communication, The Wall Street Journal said.
—
Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Farke himself commented on Gray’s keenness to be at the front of May’s title celebrations, despite having contributed only five minutes on the pitch for the senior side.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2025
Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Farke himself commented on Gray’s keenness to be at the front of May’s title celebrations, despite having contributed only five minutes on the pitch for the senior side.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keenness
Noun
-
There was no jealousy, no bitterness.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Perhaps the bitterness refers to the alimony check?—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the general enthusiasm around its private market ambitions, investors are keeping a close eye on expense growth, which determines how much of those higher fees trickle down to the bottom line.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The Measured Future of AI For all the enthusiasm around generative AI, Brittan is careful to ground expectations.—
Adam Mills,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Civilians working in cybersecurity, medical care, weapons systems maintenance, intelligence, and logistics are still working and are not included in Trump’s order to pay active-duty personnel.—
Terry Moseley,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
-
An Israeli official told CNN that Israel has shared information, based on its intelligence, on the location of some of the bodies of deceased hostages in Gaza.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
While the angel gets a little jaded having to work a kitchen job and develops a smoking habit, there are moments of sheer joy as Gabriel hits a dance floor and bites into a juicy burger for the first time.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Covered with ants and bleeding from what doctors would later suspect were animal bites, the pig farmer had just made a terrifying discovery near a river in this north Indian village.—
Aishwarya S. Iyer,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Sterling Glass had many health problems as a child—swollen feet, night sweats, nausea and vomiting, unquenchable thirst, and fatigue that often left him too exhausted to go to school.—
Liz Szabo,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Trump’s insatiable thirst for revenge.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Across almost 20 novels, the British author spun fantastical tales with unsentimental wit, infusing his work with darkly morbid humor, blithe child endangerment, rotten and antagonistic adults, and a willingness to occasionally laugh at the misfortune of others.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Niehuus, an entertainmen lawyer by training but someone with a wicked wit, succeeds Bernd Neumann, an esteemed former minister of culture in the German government, who has stepped down.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Both requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Millions of Americans experience food sensitivities or allergies every year.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Jayden Fraser added a two-point rush, giving his team an 8-7 edge at intermission.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
-
In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) attempted to move forward with a vote on a full-year Defense appropriations bill on Thursday to gain some favor with Senate Democrats on the edge about the shutdown.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Keenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keenness. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share