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
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of wails
Verb
  • If he had been forced to stick with readily available materials, Rashid complains, the deck behind the house would have been green or brown.
    — Dean Kaufman, Curbed, 30 June 2026
  • The document complains about trade, customs officers, juryless courts, and judges’ salaries.
    — Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of complains
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
Definition of howls
Noun
  • This week, the odds had settled at around 70% favoring tears.
    — Jon Sarlin, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • Every single artist is using their blood, sweat, and tears to make art.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of tears
Verb
  • Even if that number dips, the addition of Jaylen Waddle screams that Nix will throw at least 25 touchdowns.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 July 2026
  • The hybrid system smooths some of the drivetrain’s low-speed behavior, but the single-clutch transmission still delivers a hearty shunt on full-throttle upshifts as the V8 screams toward 11,000 rpm.
    — Bradley Iger, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026
Definition of screams
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
Definition of groans
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
Definition of moans
Noun
  • As the bodies were returned to their families, cries echoed through the neighborhood.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands.
    — John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 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.

Browse Nearby Words

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 12 Jul. 2026.

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