keens 1 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

keens

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of keen
1
as in complains
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 howls
to make a long loud mournful sound mourners keening for the victims of the bombing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for keens
  1. wails
  2. complains
  3. howls
  4. tears
  5. screams
  6. groans
  7. moans
  8. cries
Noun
  • Memory tends to lose sound quickly, but even years later, Jake’s mother’s wails play with the same staccatos and double chords.
    — Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Mourners beat their chests rhythmically in the intense summer heat, the wails of women cutting through the noise as the body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was unveiled beneath a glass case at the Grand Mosalla.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of wails
Verb
  • Erin then complains about her daughter and drones on about all sorts of things that no one can even pretend to care about.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Changes in Water Pressure Ragsdale’s antenna immediately goes up when a homeowner complains about low water pressure.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of complains
Verb
  • The sharp howls after a patient traveling from abroad presented with a full-term fetal demise?
    — Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026
  • At night, the coyote howls echo through the development keeping residents awake.
    — N. Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of howls
Noun
  • There were some tears in the audience and more than a few on the stage.
    — Tom Selleck, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • When told her testimony was done, Tina burst into tears in front of the jury and buried her face in a tissue.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of tears
Verb
  • The 30-year-old former France international has spent most of his career on the wing and hardly screams ‘oven-ready solution’ either.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Hathaway screams into a walkie talkie, encouraging them to jump out of the building.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of screams
Noun
  • An underwhelming and nearly green-less teaser first dropped back in March to the enormous groans of Green Lantern faithful everywhere.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Not long afterward, witnesses heard groans and heavy breathing as the spiritual adviser put her hands on his shoulders and prayed over him.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of groans
Verb
  • Sam makes a production out of teasing them, mock-reaching for various items on the set as the whole group moans and wails in distress.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Endo is the sixth choice midfielder and someone who never moans about his place in the pecking order.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of moans
Noun
  • Walmart has heard your cries, as this early Labor Day deal is a treat for sore eyes.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This seven-year-old girl pulled from the rubble after rescue workers heard her cries.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of cries
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.

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keenness
keens
keep
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Cite this Entry

“Keens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keens. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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