noun

keener

noun

A person who wails in mourning at a funeral.

"The keener's cry carried across the churchyard."

Someone overeager to impress, especially at the expense of looking good in front of others (an over-keen brown-noser).

"Nobody liked the keener who always volunteered for extra homework."

How to Use Keener

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a professional funeral mourner, or (informally, especially in Canadian slang) someone annoyingly over-eager to please.

When to use it

The "overeager student" sense is informal and especially common in Canadian English.

keeners plural, keeners plural, Keeners plural

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The _____'s cry carried across the churchyard.

wiener opener widener Wegener Greener listener gardener softener sharpener sweetener freshener Kitchener