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

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

Adrian complains that McElwee, instead of making documentaries, should have followed the lucrative path of a Hollywood director, and even reproaches him for having turned down an offer to make a TV commercial.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
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

Definition of complains

Verb

This is the sort of pure 1980s batshit monologue that prompts both oh-my-Lord gasps and howls of laughter, and Neill nails the whole thing.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026
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

Definition of howls

Noun

Your eyes constantly produce a thin layer of basal tears to keep the cornea lubricated, and the duct quietly shuttles that trickle into the nose, where it’s absorbed or blended into normal nasal mucus without a trace.

— Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
The testimony elicited visible emotion from Celeste’s family — her mother wiped away tears — who remained in court throughout the testimony.

— Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 22 July 2026

Definition of tears

Verb

Another resident spoke of downloading a smartphone app to track decibel levels throughout the day, intending to document the noise of the coaster screams and report any violations.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
Pink grapefruit and blood orange accompany tangerine in creating a citrus-forward scent that just screams summertime fun.

— Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 23 July 2026

Definition of screams

Noun

Suskind, a cochlear implant surgeon and professor of surgery and pediatrics at the University of Chicago, says for years the waiting room in her practice would be a cacophony of baby cries and toddler screeches.

— Eileen Finan, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026
Lost in all their cries is that many soccer experts believe that Balogun’s move did not merit a red card.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 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.

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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 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of keens

noun

verb

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