1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
the keenness of the knife should tell you that it was sharpened recently a writer famous for the keenness of her wit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enthusiasm
urgent desire or interest
was looking forward to his birthday party with the keenness of a youngster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters
had the financial keenness to know that the stock was overvalued
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in sensitiveness
the state or quality of being able to sense slight impressions or differences
there's an enhanced keenness of hearing that young mothers seem to develop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of keenness
The keenness of my letdown was dismaying.
—
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The talks signal keenness by both countries to maintain regular communication, The Wall Street Journal said.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Farke himself commented on Gray’s keenness to be at the front of May’s title celebrations, despite having contributed only five minutes on the pitch for the senior side.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The talks signal keenness by both countries to maintain regular communication, The Wall Street Journal said.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Farke himself commented on Gray’s keenness to be at the front of May’s title celebrations, despite having contributed only five minutes on the pitch for the senior side.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keenness
Noun
-
For example, maror, or bitter herbs, represent the bitterness of slavery.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The rest of the band joins in as Ayewa calls for the listener to look up to a world above war, bitterness, and division.—
Steve Donofrio,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales is known for his enthusiasm and optimism.—
Mike Kaye
April 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the previous delays for Artemis II, enthusiasm remains high.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At their best, then, prediction markets aggregate collective intelligence to weigh the likelihood of future events.—
Parker Bach,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Pixel 9a brings Google's flagship intelligence to a more accessible price point without compromising on durability or features.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Worldwide, many antibiotics are starting to lose their bite.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The evening begins with a lively pre-event social hour featuring bites, cocktails and networking.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Desperate from thirst, Husayn rode out of the camp with his infant son to appeal for water, but an enemy archer shot an arrow through the child’s neck.—
Mary Thurlkill,
The Conversation,
30 Mar. 2026
-
As spring replaces winter’s chill, more people are reaching for a mix of spirits and mixers to quench their thirst.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Exceptionally well-written with equal parts spice, vinegar, wicked wit, and wonder how Charlie and Emma can possibly survive this unexpected turn in their lives after one simple question and one complicated answer threatens to blow everything up.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The level of stress the game conjures rivals that of the new Resident Evil installment, in which a young woman armed with only her wits and a pistol faces down ravenous monsters.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
However, Hough also said a formal public apology and a commitment to take relevant sensitivity training could be an alternative.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In addition to tilt and pressure sensitivity, the Apple Pencil Pro adds squeeze and delete functions to the palette, along with a new barrel roll gesture and haptic vibrational feedback.—
Cierra Cowan,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When looking at the largest metro areas, the fastest growing counties tended to be on the outer edges.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The Chiefs have now turned their attention to the secondary waves of free agency while looking ahead to the draft — with top needs at cornerback, edge and offensive tackle, by my estimation.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Keenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keenness. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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