Keen

Adjective

 * 1) showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense.
 * 2) vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite.
 * "Of full keen will." -Piers Plowman.
 * "So keen and greedy to confound a man." -Shak.
 * 1) sharp; having a fine edge or point.
 * "That my keen knife see not the wound it makes." -Shak.
 * 1) acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness.
 * "To make our wits more keen." -Shak.
 * "Before the keen inquiry of her thought." -Cowper.
 * 1) bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.
 * "Good father cardinal, cry thou amen to my keen curses." -Shak.
 * 1) piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc,; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
 * "Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes." -Goldsmith.
 * 1)  Enthusiastic
 * I'm keen to learn another language.
 * I'm keen on learning another language.
 * I'm keen on languages.
 * ''"Do you want to learn another language?" / "I'm keen."
 * 1) 🇺🇸 Marvelous.
 * I just got this peachy keen new dress.
 * 1)  extremely low as to be competitive.
 * keen prices
 * 1)  brave, courageous; bold, audacious.

Verb

 * 1)  To sharpen; to make cold.
 * "Cold winter keens the brightening flood." -Thomson.

Noun

 * 1) A prolonged wail for a deceased person.

Verb

 * 1)  To utter a keen.
 * 2) * Stuart Howard-Jones (1904-1974), Hibernia. Collected in The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse, 1978.
 * Keen—meaning 'brisk'? Nay, here the Language warps: 'Tis singing bawdy Ballads to a Corpse.

Related terms

 * keener

Adverbs for Keen
intelligently; unwontedly; sharply; acutely; naturally; subtly; extremely; shrewdly; sensibly; mysteriously; obviously; supremely; unfailingly; infallibly; prophetically; precociously; penetratingly; astoundingly; singularly; uncannily; sagaciously; wisely; apparently; obviously; profoundly; thoughtfully; exceedingly.

Thesaurus
Attic, OK, Siberian, ablaze, absorbing, ace-high, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulent, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, active, acute, adroit, afire, aggressive, agile, agog, alacritous, alert, algid, alive, all agog, animate, animated, anxious, apt, arctic, ardent, argute, asperous, astringent, astute, athirst, attentive, avid, awake, bad, bang-up, bark, bawl, bellow, below zero, bemoan, bewail, biting, bitter, bitterly cold, blare, blat, bleak, blubber, boiling over, bonzer, boom, boreal, boss, brainy, bray, breathe, breathless, bright, brilliant, brisk, brumal, buggy, bugs, bully, burning, bursting to, but good, buzz, cackle, canny, cant, caterwaul, caustic, chant, chirp, clever, cold, cold as charity, cold as death, cold as ice, cold as marble, coo, cool, cordial, corking, coronach, corroding, corrosive, crackerjack, crafty, creak, creaky, crisp, crow, cry, cunning, cutting, dandy, dead march, death knell, death song, deep, deep-felt, deepgoing, delicious, delirious, deplore, desirous, detailed, devoted, devoted to, dexterous, dirge, discerning, discriminating, discriminative, distinct, distressful, distressing, divine, dolorous tirade, double-edged, drastic, drawl, droll, drunk, ducky, dynamic, eager, ear-piercing, earnest, edged, elegize, elegy, enamored of, energetic, enterprising, enthusiastic, epicedium, escharotic, eulogy, excessive, excited, exclaim, excruciating, exorbitant, exquisite, extravagant, extreme, exuberant, fab, facetious, featheredged, febrile, fervent, fervid, fevered, feverish, fierce, fiery, fine, fine and dandy, fired, flaming, flushed, flute, fond of, forceful, forcible, forward, freezing, freezing cold, frigid, full of life, full of pep, funeral march, funeral oration, funeral song, funny, furious, gasp, gay, gear, gelid, gifted, give sorrow words, glacial, glorious, glowing, go-go, graveside oration, great, grieve, grievous, groan, groovy, growl, grunt, gung ho, harsh, heartfelt, hearty, heated, heavy, hibernal, hiemal, hiss, homefelt, hot, howl, howling, humorous, humorsome, hunky-dory, hyperborean, ice-cold, ice-encrusted, icelike, icy, immoderate, impassioned, impatient, impetuous, incisive, inclement, indelible, intelligent, intemperate, intense, intoxicated, irritating, itching, jam-up, jeremiad, jesting, jocose, jocular, joking, joky, joshing, just dandy, keen-edged, keen-witted, keening, kinetic, knell, knifelike, lament, lamentation, lilt, lively, living, lusty, marvy, mean, mettlesome, moan, monody, mordacious, mordant, mourn, muffled drums, mumble, murmur, mutter, neat, nifty, nimble, nimble-witted, nipping, nippy, no dumbbell, nobby, nose-tickling, not born yesterday, numbing, nutty, okay, on fire, on the, on the alert, on the ball, on the job, out of sight, outcry, outrageous, painful, pant, panting, passing bell, passionate, peachy, peachy-keen, penetrating, peppy, perceptive, percipient, perfervid, perspicacious, pervading, piercing, pinching, pipe, piping, piquant, plaint, planctus, poignant, pointed, profound, prompt, pungent, qui vive, quick, quick-thinking, quick-witted, rapier-like, raring to, raw, razor-edged, ready, ready and willing, red-hot, reedy, repine, requiem, rigorous, ripping, roar, robust, rough, rum, rumble, salt, salty, sarcastic, sardonic, scathing, scintillating, scorching, screak, screaky, scream, screech, screeching, screechy, scrumptious, searing, sensitive, set, severe, sharp, sharp-sighted, sharp-witted, sharpened, shrewd, shriek, shrieking, shrieky, shrill, sibilate, sigh, sing, sing the blues, skirl, skreigh, slap-up, sleepless, sleety, slushy, smacking, smart, smashing, snap, snappy, snarl, snort, sob, solid, something else, sorrow, sough, sour, spanking, sparkling, specific, spiffing, spiffy, spirited, splitting, sprightly, squall, squawk, squeak, squeaking, squeaky, squeal, stabbing, steaming, steamy, steel-trap, stinging, stone-cold, strenuous, strident, stringent, strong, stunning, subzero, supercooled, swell, take-charge, take-over, talented, tart, thin, thirsty, threnode, threnody, thunder, tirade, tough, trenchant, trumpet, twang, two-edged, ululant, ululate, ululation, unblinking, unconscionable, unmistakable, unmistaken, unnodding, unrestrained, unsleeping, unwinking, vehement, venomous, vibrant, vigorous, violent, virulent, vital, vitriolic, vivacious, vivid, wail, wail of woe, wailing, wakeful, warble, warm, weep, weep over, whimper, whimsical, whine, whining, whisper, whistle, whistling, wide-awake, winterbound, winterlike, wintery, wintry, wise, withering, witty, wizard, wrawl, yammer, yap, yawp, yell, yelp, yowl, zealous, zestful, zesty, zippy

Pronunciation

 * Homophones: Keane, Keene
 * Homophones: Keane, Keene
 * Homophones: Keane, Keene
 * Homophones: Keane, Keene

Etymology 1
From kene:, from  cene:, from, from. Cognate with kuoni:,  coene:, cone:,  kœnn:,  køn:.

Etymology 2
Irish caoin 'keen, weep, cry'

Alternative forms

 * keene, kene

Adjective

 * : begeistert, eifrig, verwegen

Synonyms

 * prompt; eager; ardent; sharp; acute; cutting; penetrating; biting; severe; sarcastic; satirical; piercing; shrewd.
 * See also Thesaurus:intelligent

Derived terms

 * keen-witted
 * keen as mustard
 * keen on
 * keenly
 * keenness

Anagrams

 * knee

Particle

 * 1) not a