keen

(kēn)
adj., keen·er, keen·est.

1. Having a fine, sharp cutting edge or point.
2. Having or marked by intellectual quickness and acuity. See synonyms at sharp.
3. Acutely sensitive: a keen ear.
4. Sharp; vivid; strong: "His entire body hungered for keen sensation, something exciting" (Richard Wright).
5. Intense; piercing: a keen wind.
6. Pungent; acrid: A keen smell of skunk was left behind.
7. 1. Ardent; enthusiastic: a keen chess player.
   2. Eagerly desirous: keen on going to Europe in the spring.
8. Slang. Great; splendid; fine: What a keen day!

[Middle English kene, from Old English cēne, brave.]

keenly keen'ly adv.
keenness keen'ness n.

keen² (kēn)
n.
A loud, wailing lament for the dead.

intr.v., keened, keen·ing, keens.
To wail in lamentation, especially for the dead. See synonyms at cry.

[From Irish Gaelic caoineadh, from caoninim, I lament, from Old Irish caínim, coínim, perhaps of Brittonic origin.]

keener keen'er n.

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adjective

1. Having a fine edge, as for cutting: sharp. See sharp/dull.
2. Mentally quick and original: alert, bright, clever, intelligent, quick, quick-witted, sharp, sharp-witted, smart. Idioms: smart as a whip. See ability/inability.
3. Possessing or displaying perceptions of great accuracy and sensitivity: acute, incisive, penetrating, perceptive, probing, sensitive, sharp, trenchant. See careful/careless, sharp/dull.
4. Showing or having enthusiasm: ardent, enthusiastic, fervent, mad, rabid, warm, zealous. Informal crazy. Slang gung ho, nuts. See concern/unconcern.
5. Intensely desirous or interested: agog, ardent, athirst, avid, bursting, eager, impatient, solicitous, thirsting, thirsty. Informal raring. Idioms: champing at the bit, ready and willing. See concern/unconcern.
6. Particularly excellent: divine, fabulous, fantastic, fantastical, glorious, marvelous, sensational, splendid, superb, terrific, wonderful. Informal dandy, dreamy, great, ripping, super, swell, tremendous. Slang cool, groovy, hot, neat, nifty. Idioms: out of this world. See good/bad.

keen²

verb

To make inarticulate sounds of grief or pain, usually accompanied by tears: bawl, blubber, cry, howl, sob, wail, weep, yowl. See happy/unhappy, sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.

adj

Definition: enthusiastic
Antonyms: reluctant, unenthusiastic, uninterested

adj

Definition: sharp, piercing
Antonyms: blunt, dull, obtuse, pointless

adj

Definition: very intelligent
Antonyms: dull, idiotic, ignorant, obtuse, stupid

For a list of words related to keen, see:

• Intonation and Inflection - keen: utter high, wailing tones
• Descriptions of Sounds
• Intelligent, Informed, Clever, or Articulate
• Burial and Funerals - keen: loud, wailing lamentation for the dead

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See words rhyming with "keen."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Keen.

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
adj. - skarp, bidende, hvas, skarpsindig, stærk, voldsom, passioneret, energisk, dybtfølt

idioms:

• be keen on    vild med, ivrig efter, opsat på, forhippet på

2.
v. intr. - hyle, synge klagesang
n. - klagesang

Nederlands (Dutch)
ijverig, scherp, pienter, doordringend, fel, vurig, concurrerend, geweldig, Ierse lijkzang, bewenen, weeklagen

Français (French)
1.
adj. - aiguisé, affilé, tranchant, aigu, (fig) piquant (un froid), vif (l'air), mordant (un sarcasme), caustique, âpre, vif (un intérêt), intense (un sentiment), aiguisé (un appétit), cuisant (une douleur), poignant, pénétrant (une vue), perçant, fin (l'ouïe), (GB) étudié (des prix), serré (une compétition), acharné, fin (une intelligence), pénétrant (un jugement), (GB) enthousiaste, ardent, zélé (une personne), (US) chouette, cinglant

idioms:

• be keen on    avoir la passion de, être enthousiasmé par, plaire (à qn), avoir un béguin pour, passionné de, aimer beaucoup faire (qch), tenir à (faire qch)

2.
v. intr. - chanter une mélopée funèbre
n. - (Mus) mélopée funèbre (irlandaise)

Deutsch (German)
1.
adj. - scharf, begeistert, heftig, grell, schrill, durchdringend, scharf kalkuliert, (ugs.) klasse

idioms:

• be keen on    erpicht darauf sein

2.
v. - wehklagen, beklagen
n. - Totenklage

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - οξύς, κοφτερός, έντονος, σφοδρός, επιμελής, ενθουσιώδης, τσουχτερός
v. - ακονίζω, μοιρολογώ

idioms:

• be keen on    αγαπώ πολύ, τρελαίνομαι για

Italiano (Italian)
acuto, tagliente, ardente, pungente, desideroso

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - entusiasmado, afiado, aguçado, alerta, intenso, ardente, ávido, cioso, zeloso, perspicaz, mordaz
v. - carpir (defunto)

idioms:

• be keen on    entusiasmar-se por

Русский (Russian)
острый, резкий, хитрый, живо интересующийся, оплакивать, голосить

idioms:

• be keen on    увлекаться чем-либо

Español (Spanish)
1.
adj. - afilado, agudo, intenso, vivo, fuerte, perspicaz, penetrante, cortante

idioms:

• be keen on    estar interesado en, estar encariñado con

2.
v. intr. - entonar un lamento fúnebre o canto funerario, llorar, lamentar(se)
n. - lamento fúnebre, canto funerario

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - ivrig, angelägen, vass, skarp, intensiv
v. - begråta

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 热心的, 热衷的, 锋利的, 锐利的, 敏锐的, 敏捷的, 激烈的

idioms:

• be keen on    喜爱

2. 恸哭, 挽歌, 哀号, 唱挽歌

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
adj. - 熱心的, 熱衷的, 鋒利的, 銳利的, 敏銳的, 敏捷的, 激烈的

idioms:

• be keen on    喜愛

2.
n. - 慟哭, 挽歌, 哀號
v. intr. - 慟哭, 哀號, 唱挽歌

한국어 (Korean)
1.
adj. - 잘 드는, 매서운, 예민한, 열심인, 멋진

idioms:

• be keen on    몹시 하고싶어 하는

2.
v. intr. - 애가를 부르다, 통곡하다
n. - 애가 , 슬퍼함, 장례식노래

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 鋭い, 鋭敏な, 熱心な, 熱中して, 身を切るような, 痛烈な, 強烈な

idioms:

• be keen on    夢中である
• keen as mustard    非常に熱心な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) ماض, قاطع, باتر (فعل) يندب, يعول‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮חד-חושים, חריף-שכל, נלהב, פעיל, להוט, ער, חד, תחרותי (מחיר), חזק (קול, אור, קור), מצוין (מדוברת), חודר‬
v. intr. - ‮קונן, נמשך אל‬
n. - ‮קינה‬

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