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
  • China is demanding the US ease export bans on high-tech goods, like chipmaking gear; the US bitterly complains about Chinese overproduction and transhipment.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • There’ll always be someone who doesn’t like it, who complains about it.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Sep. 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
  • Saldivar wiped away tears when prosecutors played her full 911 call in court.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Her barbs are sharp enough to bring even Regina George to tears.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of tears
Verb
  • The residents also projected a slick video (narrated by a British actor and viewed by Deadline) that talked about how the residents hear screams every 20 to 40 seconds, which averages out to 1,000 screams a day, 365,000 a year.
    — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Between the rich burgundy hue, the delicate side splits on the crewneck sweater, the ribbed texture, and the wide-leg pant silhouette, this matching set screams rich-mom energy.
    — Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of screams
Noun
  • The company’s presentation was punctuated by boos and groans from hundreds of Chinatown, Bridgeport and Armour Square residents.
    — Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • There were times in the second half when boos and plenty of groans were heard inside Old Trafford.
    — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 16 Sep. 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
  • Lacking life detection equipment, the workers strained to hear their cries.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Each year on the night of September 15, Mexico’s president reenacts the famous grito from the National Palace in Mexico City, ringing the exact same bell Hidalgo did and leading the crowd in cries honoring the heroes of independence.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 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 5 Oct. 2026.

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