keenness
Use Keenness in a sentence
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.
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
|
Link To keenness
00:10
Keenness
is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
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 | |
| keen1 (kiːn) | |
| —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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Example sentences
Keenness of observing and reporting safety hazards to co-workers and/or supervisor.
But it also illustrates a keenness to cultivate opinion makers.
But that there were ways to dramatize this to an unsuspecting world was the keenness of my understanding.
Keenness of observation in identifying and monitoring day-to-day operations or potential incidents to effectively perform the job.
Nearby Words
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