1
as in sensitive
able to sense slight impressions or differences
pilots with especially keen eyesight
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
the keen wind gave me chapped lips
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3
as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
lanced the boil with a keen scalpel
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4
as in quick
having or showing quickness of mind
readers who were keen enough to realize that the writer was being satirical
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5
as in excellent
of the very best kind
that new digital camera sure is keen
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6
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest
a keen hunger for fame and fortune in the fashion industry
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7
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
movies gave him keen enjoyment like nothing else
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as in wail
a crying out in grief
the loud keens of the widows were heard throughout the war-ravaged city
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1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
victims of the disaster have been keening for weeks about the slowness of governmental aid
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of keen
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 21 May 2025
But Google isn't keen to lead on the hardware in this space—at the moment at least.
—Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 21 May 2025
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 25 Jan. 2023
For those keen on camping, this portable, self-inflating tent is designed to be water- and weather-resistant.
—Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 9 Jan. 2023
Emily Lordi Philip Cheung, New York Times, 10 May 2024
The score’s main theme feels, above all, like a progression—a steady movement from melody to dissonance, from keening violins to ominous cellos, from pastoral splendor to something more sinister and unresolved.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for keen
Adjective
After that, Rogen and Goldberg were just as keen to continue collaboration, rewriting the final two scripts to add her character in after working with her.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 21 May 2025
But Google isn't keen to lead on the hardware in this space—at the moment at least.
—Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 21 May 2025
Noun
For those keen to explore the country deeper and differently, Vinho Verde awaits.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 25 Jan. 2023
For those keen on camping, this portable, self-inflating tent is designed to be water- and weather-resistant.
—Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 9 Jan. 2023
Verb
He’s been lauded for sounding like a vestige of another age — his supple, keening tenor the result of years of apprenticeship to the Pakistani artists Ustad Saami and Farida Khanum.
—Emily Lordi Philip Cheung, New York Times, 10 May 2024
The score’s main theme feels, above all, like a progression—a steady movement from melody to dissonance, from keening violins to ominous cellos, from pastoral splendor to something more sinister and unresolved.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for keen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keen
Adjective
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Other lawsuits have focused on one area DOGE has seen great success in: amassing sensitive government data and combining it into massive databases.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
30 May 2025
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Moreover, data tokenization or de-identification allows sensitive information (like PII or health records) to be replaced with non-sensitive surrogates, reducing risk without compromising analytics.—
Shinoy Vengaramkode Bhaskaran,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
But when Afrikaners began to take a serious interest in Mr. Trump’s refugee program, the biting remarks were unleashed.—
Zimasa Matiwane,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Katy Perry is continuing to catch strays, this time from the most biting demographic of all: the pop girlie fandom.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Shooting victim Sarah Milgrim remembered as 'a light' who fought antisemitism Israeli Embassy shooting: See the scene Real quick All American Rejects singer explains what's up with viral pop-up shows.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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The ship was to be the second major navy surface vessel revealed in quick succession by North Korea.—
Gawon Bae,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Amazon The latest MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is an excellent, lightweight laptop.—
Brenda Stolyar,
Wired News,
24 May 2025
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The enchanting espionage comedy flaunts an excellent Benicio del Toro as a 1950s industrialist, who, after surviving an attempt on his life, names his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) as heir to his empire.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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But for his versatility, the variety in his attacking link-up and movement, and his ever-presence in a tough City season, there is reason to be excited for what lies ahead.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Artist Tina Birkhoff said this was her first year displaying her work at the event and was very excited to be at the show over the weekend.—
David Sharos,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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The auto-revive for solo players on Night Lords is to combat the intense difficulties of those fights where a single wrong move can be death.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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And, believe it or not, Europe does have air conditioning, which can be quite an intense shift when moving between the outdoors into coach buses or stores.—
Gregory Robinson,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2025
Noun
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Staying put In Kyiv, residents have adjusted to the regular wail of sirens and periodic explosions.—
Dominique Soguel,
Christian Science Monitor,
28 Apr. 2025
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In this ode to deception, stark ironies become the self-punishing wail of survivors.—
William Logan,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The firing after a nearly 30-year run appeared to surprise Starkey, after reports that Daltrey was not happy with the drummer’s performance at a March Royal Albert Hall gig, complaining from stage that Starkey’s loud playing was throwing him off.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
27 May 2025
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Many complain about a lack of tort reform, unrestricted attorney advertising or litigation funding, all of which contribute significantly to the scam.—
Robert Tyson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Keen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keen. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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