keening 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of keeningnext
as in wailing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

keening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of keen
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely victims of the disaster have been keening for weeks about the slowness of governmental aid

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in howling
to make a long loud mournful sound mourners keening for the victims of the bombing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for keening
  1. complaining
  2. howling
  3. weeping
  4. whining
  5. sentimental
  6. mawkish
Verb
  • There's no word on whether the lights are imported from Italy, or if the neighborhood has its own Todd and Margo complaining about the wet carpet.
    Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 24 Dec. 2024
  • As suburban sprawl pushed cities farther and farther out, that land became more valuable for shopping centers and warehouses while neighbors began complaining of the noise from the thundering, angry bark of the stock-car engines.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • This includes destructive behavior such as chewing and destroying furniture as well as things like howling and barking.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
  • By the fourth day of the retreat, Carr-Gomm was in severe distress, howling in pain and frothing at the mouth.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of howling
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of weeping
Verb
  • Stop whining about female TV anchor’s hair and clothing.
    Ticked Off, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Dec. 2024
  • Spoiled Alabama fans whining about their THREE-loss team not getting an invitation to the College Football Playoff is like listening to Warren Buffett complain about not getting a senior discount.
    Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of whining
Adjective
  • John Lennon's sons Sean Ono Lennon and Julian Lennon recently spent some time together in a sentimental place.
    Gil Macias, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
  • Although perceived as a vindictive album, Reputation is also a sentimental one, with its fair share of love songs.
    Lolita Mang, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2024
Definition of sentimental
Adjective
  • Co-directed with Jewish Israeli filmmaker Yaron Shani, the movie paints a subtle picture of a society split along fissures religious, political, cultural, and economic, without ever chiding his characters or dipping into mawkish sentimentality.
    Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Sep. 2024
  • And the hints for today’s groups are: Yellow group — leader or main thing Green group — these can be prickly Blue group — mawkish movies, perhaps Purple group — these have a limit, some might say What Are Today’s Connections Groups?
    Kris Holt, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
Definition of mawkish
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near keening

keened

keening

keenly

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Cite this Entry

“Keening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keening. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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