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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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
  • The private sector complains that there are jobs but that Indians aren’t skilled enough to be hired.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Prescribing Tylenol to a patient who continually complains of back pain will not necessarily solve what ails them.
    — Chris Adams, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of complains
Verb
  • At night, the coyote howls echo through the development keeping residents awake.
    — N. Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of howls
Noun
  • The crowd erupted, some cheering and others brought to tears, a collective wave of emotion rolling over us as the sky went dark.
    — Annissa Durar, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Through tears, Duarte described seeing footage of four men who wore ski masks and carried rifles getting out of a minivan and forcing her son and Ruelas into a second car.
    — Kevin Sieff, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tears
Verb
  • The audience screams in response, and Scovel scolds them again but this time with a smile.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Witness accounts describe chaotic scene In the video, as many as five officers can be seen, and shrieks, screams, and cries are heard.
    — Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of screams
Noun
  • This reality might produce some groans among the kiddos in your lives, but parents can revel in the fact that BTS sales abound.
    — Melissa Knific, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The moment was met with several groans from the audience in the room.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 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
  • Witness accounts describe chaotic scene In the video, as many as five officers can be seen, and shrieks, screams, and cries are heard.
    — Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • For all its characteristic restraint and formal diligence, Killing Spree is a book that wants to make noise, to cut through the dead air with cries of grief and rage, undoing our own savage torpor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 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 16 Aug. 2026.

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