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
-
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 -
Within moments, a smoke detector wails.—
Cyrus Farivar,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Nobody visiting a nuclear facility complains about the onerous security features.—
Juliette Kayyem,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Lauersdorf is always willing to answer constituent concerns, and never complains, said Heritage Homeowners’ Association vice president Jennifer Samuels in a Facebook post promoting the fundraising effort.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Each dish and recipe howls with a common sense of place.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Through your tears, see a brief, shimmering vision of What Might Have Been.—
Ian Frazier,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
My eyes, raw and stinging, now filled with their own salty tears.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
As the recording, which lasts over an hour, continues, Athena’s screams can be heard.—
Jamie Stengle,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Everything about him screams of a boy who was born to play the game.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The groans that have become standard in home playoff games in recent years kicked in quickly.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
2 May 2026
-
Simmons became a star when groans were the franchise soundtrack.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Freight House building creaks and moans underfoot, and passing trains produce little more than a subtle hum.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Back in the car, Albert moans and groans while Billie shrieks in panic.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If recent history repeats, new cries could come from the crowd, too.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
Two years into Bronny James’ NBA career, in the postseason spotlight, cries of nepotism will have to wait for the bench minutes the Lakers actually need from the 21-year-old guard.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Keens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keens. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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