as in wails
a crying out in grief
the loud keens of the widows were heard throughout the war-ravaged city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keens
Noun
-
After a second of consideration, Naim slams the grate shut to the monster’s wails, and the audience’s relief.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026 -
Her wails of pain were audible on TV broadcasts as medics tended to her before a helicopter finally carried her away.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
But today nobody complains about the cost of his castles.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
8 June 2026
-
Never says a word, never complains about it, right?—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Up in the stands, fans waved their own flags — including some sneaked in over the objections of FIFA and the courts — and wrestled with emotions, as boos, howls and hisses rained down from all corners of the stadium.—
Rick Maese,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
-
Roaring and grunting, his body sleek with blood and sweat, Conan tussles and grapples with a series of opponents, dominating them all, while an audience of torch-wielding vulgarians shouts and howls at the pit’s lip.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Unlike standard eye drops that get washed away by tears within minutes, living eye drops use bacteria that colonize the eye and continuously release therapeutic proteins after a single application.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
Her husband Ve Bui accepted the honor, holding back tears.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The Callback 8020’s app policy screams digital minimalism.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
16 June 2026
-
Mariska Hargitay screams with excitement when the New York Knicks defeat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals Game 4 in New York City on June 10.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Young climbed into a box, which Strange then stabbed repeatedly, prompting groans from the audience.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 June 2026
-
Still, the night had enough laughs, groans and tender moments to keep things interesting.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Musselwhite punctuated the music with his harmonica trills and moans while his right knee bounced in time with the rhythms.—
Kevin McKeough,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
As the video continues, one person can be heard yelling her name while the makeup artist moans in pain.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
The following Story shows Emmy hooked up to various wires and tubes in the hospital as Morgan holds her in her arms and cries.—
Georgia Slater,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
The anti-Trump cries soon turned to bellowing cheers when those same cameras quickly cut to Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson courtside.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Keens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keens. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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