adj

keen

adj

Eager and enthusiastic about something.

"She was keen to start the new job straight away."

"He's always keen for a game of football at lunchtime."

Sharp, whether literally (an edge or point) or mentally (a sharp mind or sharp senses).

"He has a keen eye for detail."

"The knife had a keen blade after sharpening."

Of cold, wind, or pain: cutting and intense.

"A keen wind cut across the moor."

verb

To wail or cry out in mourning for the dead.

"The women keened over the grave through the night."

How to Use Keen

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEager and enthusiastic, or sharp (in edge, mind, or sensation) — a separate, older sense means to wail in mourning.

UK vs US

"Keen" meaning eager is far more common in British English; American English tends to say "eager" or "into it" instead.

Common pairings

keen interest keen sense keen to keen on

Word Forms

keener comparative, more keen comparative, keened past tense, keened past tense, keens plural, Keens plural, keens singular, keens singular, keenest superlative, most keen superlative

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She was _____ to start the new job straight away.

Etymology

From Old English cēne ("bold, sharp, wise"), a Germanic word related to German kühn ("bold") and, further back, to the root of "cunning" and "can".

Synonyms

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penetrating shrewd

Related Words

astute sly shrewd penetrating

Rhymes for keen

een been seen teen deen green queen sheen Steen tween Breen unseen

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