KEENS Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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keens

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of keen

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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as in howls

to make a long loud mournful sound mourners keening for the victims of the bombing

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for keens

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

Noun

Scott’s face, in this shot, is a whole novel, disintegrating into tears before being shored up again, eventually rearranged into something resembling a welcoming smile that teeters on the edge of collapse.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
The strip measures how much the eye produces tears over about five minutes.

— Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of tears

Verb

Standing in the backyard of a house situated near a neighboring golf course, rider screams are certainly audible, and residents said the consistency of them is destroying their quality of life.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
There were hugs and high fives, and jubilant screams from a winning locker room could be heard clearly in the adjacent news conference room and by anyone walking through the hallway.

— Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of screams

Noun

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
After two hours of practice, with the 10-foot-tall fences doing little to muffle the bullhorn orders and corresponding groans, the huddle broke and the personalities sprung to life.

— Noah White, Washington Post, 14 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

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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“Keens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keens. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of keens

noun

verb

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