adjective, keen·er, keen·est.
1.
finely sharpened, as an edge; so shaped as to cut or pierce substances readily: a keen razor.
2.
sharp, piercing, or biting: a keen wind; keen satire.
3.
characterized by strength and distinctness of perception; extremely sensitive or responsive: keen eyes; keen ears.
4.
having or showing great mental penetration or acumen: keen reasoning; a keen mind.
5.
animated by or showing strong feeling or desire: keen competition.
Origin:
before 900; 1930–35 for def 8; Middle English kene, Old English cēne; cognate with German kühn, Old High German chuoni bold, Old Norse kœnn wise, skillful
before 900; 1930–35 for def 8; Middle English kene, Old English cēne; cognate with German kühn, Old High German chuoni bold, Old Norse kœnn wise, skillful
Related forms
keen·ly, adverb
keen·ness, noun
Synonyms
1, 4. See sharp. 2. cutting, bitter, caustic. 3. piercing, penetrating, acute. 4. discerning, acute, astute, sagacious, shrewd, clever. 5. See avid. 7. earnest, fervid.
1, 4. See sharp. 2. cutting, bitter, caustic. 3. piercing, penetrating, acute. 4. discerning, acute, astute, sagacious, shrewd, clever. 5. See avid. 7. earnest, fervid.
Antonyms
1, 3, 4. dull.
1, 3, 4. dull.
00:10
Keen
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
1.
a wailing lament for the dead.
verb (used without object)
2.
to wail in lamentation for the dead.
verb (used with object)
3.
to bewail or lament by or with keening.
Origin:
1805–15; < Irish caoine (noun), caoin- (v., stem of caoinim) lament
1805–15; < Irish caoine (noun), caoin- (v., stem of caoinim) lament
Related forms
keen·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To keen
Collins
World English Dictionary
keen1 (kiːn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj (foll by on) | |
| 1. | eager or enthusiastic |
| 2. | fond (of); devoted (to): keen on a girl; keen on golf |
| 3. | intellectually acute: a keen wit |
| 4. | (of sight, smell, hearing, etc) capable of recognizing fine distinctions |
| 5. | having a sharp cutting edge or point |
| 6. | extremely cold and penetrating: a keen wind |
| 7. | intense or strong: a keen desire |
| 8. | chiefly (Brit) extremely low so as to be competitive: keen prices |
| 9. | slang chiefly (US), (Canadian) very good |
| [Old English cēne; related to Old High German kuoni brave, Old Norse koenn wise; see | |
| 'keenly1 | |
| —adv | |
| 'keenness1 | |
| —n | |
| keen2 (kiːn) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to lament the dead |
| —n | |
| 2. | a dirge or lament for the dead |
| [C19: from Irish Gaelic caoine, from Old Irish coīnim I wail] | |
| 'keener2 | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
keen
O.E. cene "bold brave," later "clever, wise," from P.Gmc. *kan- "be able to" (see can). Original prehistoric senses seem to have been both "brave" and "skilled;" cf. O.N. kænn "skillful, wise," M.Du. coene "bold," O.H.G. kuon "pugnacious, strong," Ger. Kühn "bold,
daring." Sense of "eager" is from mid-14c. The meaning "sharp" is peculiar to Eng.: of blades and edges early 13c., of sounds c.1400, of eyesight c.1720. A popular word of approval in teenager and student slang from c.1900.
keen
"lament," 1811, from Ir. caoinim "I weep, wail, lament," from O.Ir. coinim.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Cite This Source
Example sentences
Rhinos have sharp hearing and a keen sense of smell.
Indigenous peoples and rural populations are keen observers of their natural environments.
Coaching might seem an obvious second career for a former chief executive keen to profit from a little mentoring.
Understandable, then, that teachers aren't keen to open their inboxes to the clamoring hordes.
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