1
as in sensitive
able to sense slight impressions or differences
pilots with especially keen eyesight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
the keen wind gave me chapped lips
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3
as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
lanced the boil with a keen scalpel
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4
as in quick
having or showing quickness of mind
readers who were keen enough to realize that the writer was being satirical
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5
as in excellent
of the very best kind
that new digital camera sure is keen
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6
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest
a keen hunger for fame and fortune in the fashion industry
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7
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
movies gave him keen enjoyment like nothing else
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as in wail
a crying out in grief
the loud keens of the widows were heard throughout the war-ravaged city
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1
as in to complain
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of keen
Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman was keen on the film.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2023
Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
He’s been lauded for sounding like a vestige of another age — his supple, keening tenor the result of years of apprenticeship to the Pakistani artists Ustad Saami and Farida Khanum.
—Emily Lordi Philip Cheung, New York Times, 10 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for keen
Adjective
What Happens Next Moscow is likely to continue with its strikes on Ukrainian cities as the weather gets colder, but Kyiv will be keen to show its air defense prowess and its ability to use drones to strike key Russian infrastructure.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman was keen on the film.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
The song finds Abstract continuing to explore the contours of indie and alternative rock, with a simmering lo-fi guitar riff that gives way to the uneasy keen of a synth.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2023
Verb
The sport's powerhouse India did not want to host another event, with Zimbabwe - emerging as a destination for major tournaments - and Sri Lanka keen but bypassed for the UAE, a reliable alternative that doubles as headquarters for the sport's governing body.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
He’s been lauded for sounding like a vestige of another age — his supple, keening tenor the result of years of apprenticeship to the Pakistani artists Ustad Saami and Farida Khanum.
—Emily Lordi Philip Cheung, New York Times, 10 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for keen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keen
Adjective
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Windows 11 Pro gives you BitLocker encryption, Smart App Control, and biometric login support to help safeguard sensitive information.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Phishing scams often use convincing logos and language to trick you into revealing sensitive information.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The characters have this sharp, biting, British humor.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
-
There’s Bud the biting cat, played by a feline named Tonic and who deserves a three-picture deal.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Pressing less, fewer long spells of possession, quicker to work the ball through the thirds.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Choosing to engage means players can toss out one of their own Pokémon, all accessible at any time with quick button presses, or just skip the process and chuck a Poke ball at the back of the creature’s head.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Iberostar Waves Quetzal Playa del Carmen, Mexico A beachfront all-inclusive Playa del Carmen resort that welcomes families with excellent children’s programming, Iberostar Waves Quetzal caters to kids and teens ages four to 17 with everything from cooking classes to science experiments.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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The dual point of view is perfect, the banter and pacing are excellent and the cover is absolutely gorgeous.—
Audrey Goldberg Ruoff,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The opening of the location near the Detroit Metro Airport drew a large and excited crowd.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
23 Sep. 2025
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Nvidia has made no net progress since July 30 alongside plenty of excited chatter around the strength and duration of the AI buildout — perhaps having entered another of its long digestion trading ranges (the last one went on for several months)?—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Watching the Ryder Cup at an open-air golf course presents a whole different challenge, and attendees were warned to be ready for an intense security operation on Friday.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
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In aviation, iridium-tipped electrodes are used in high-performance spark plugs, providing longer service life and reliable ignition under intense conditions.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Low, ominous bass riffs giving way to a distorted wail of electric guitar signaled that this was the juncture in American history when the gloves came off and the real ass-kicking began.—
Seth Harp,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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Were his character more precisely defined, Battle’s wail of feeling might carry you past the awkwardness of the songwriting, the nagging questions about what’s meant to be translucent or not, but here both character and emotion are indistinct.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In April, 44-year-old Marie Ange Blaise, a Haitian, died while being held at GEO’s Pompano Beach facility after complaining of chest pains.—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
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And faculty worry that teaching certain subject matter and texts might offend students and, if students complain, lead to administrative sanctions.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Keen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keen. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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