keen1
/kiːn
/adjective
1chiefly British Having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm: a keen gardener John was keen to help...
- He was very keen and enthusiastic about learning.
- He was an ardent fisherman, a keen gardener, and an active naturalist.
- The areas round the house, where the borders are filled with herbaceous plants, were the territory of his wife, Elisabeth, an equally keen gardener, who died last year.
Synonyms
eager, anxious, impatient, determined, desirous, longing, wishing, itching, dying, yearning, ambitious, ready;
intent on
informal raring
enthusiastic, avid, eager, ardent, passionate, fervent, fervid, impassioned, wholehearted, zestful, zealous, driven;
willing, conscientious, committed, dedicated;
diligent, earnest, industrious, assiduous, intent
1.1 (keen on) Interested in or attracted by (someone or something): Bob makes it obvious he’s keen on her...
- He's particularly keen on photographs or other interesting items from the past.
- At the moment, the shares are no obvious bargain for investors keen on value.
- Advocates of social software are keen on seeking alternatives to mainstream politics.
Synonyms
enthusiastic about, interested in, passionate about, fascinated by;
attracted to, fond of, taken with, smitten with, enamoured of, attached to, devoted to, infatuated with;
eager for, hungry for
informal struck on, sweet on, gone on, mad about, crazy about, nuts about, into
North American informal twitterpated by
2Sharp or penetrating, in particular:St. John has a particularly roman face and expression, a sharp nose and a keen ability to perceive the interior state of his subject, at all costs....
- I look forward to you incisive commentary and keen analysis of this woefully neglected issue.
- She also had an unusually keen grasp of the subtleties of croquet.
2.1(Of a sense) highly developed: I have keen eyesight...
- With their poor eyesight and keen sense of smell, they can get dangerously close.
- They have keen hearing and good senses of vision and smell.
- The sense of smell is keen and the snout is used to probe when searching for food.
Synonyms
acute, sharp, penetrating, discerning, sensitive, perceptive, piercing, clear, observant;
powerful
2.2(Of mental faculties) quick to understand: her keen intellect...
- Of course, it takes a keen military intellect to understand the strategic importance of blowing up empty buildings.
- He had a gentle, kindly manner, twinkling eyes and quick smile, a keen sense of humour and a penetrating wit.
- His sharp intellect, keen wit and urbane presence have been an asset of varying value to the Labour Party for almost 40 years.
Synonyms
acute, penetrating, astute, incisive, sharp, perceptive, piercing, rapier-like, razor-like, razor-sharp, perspicacious, shrewd, subtle, finely honed, quick-witted, sharp-witted, discerning, clever, intelligent, brilliant, bright, smart, wise, canny, percipient, insightful, sagacious, sapient
informal brainy, genius
2.3(Of the edge or point of a blade) sharp: the keen blade went through the weeds...
- Seizing an opportunity, he slashed upwards with his knife, the keen edge of his blade taking grip on the dog's neck.
- After many modifications, the end result is an extremely tough, durable and sturdy blade that retains a keen edge over many years.
- I stared at the knife in my hand for a long time, turning it over and over in my hands, admiring the keen edge and the gleaming metal that made the blade.
Synonyms
sharp, sharp-edged, sharpened, honed, razor-like, razor-sharp, whetted, fine-edged
2.4(Of the air or wind) extremely cold; biting: a keen wind cut through their thick overalls...
- The day was blessed with bright sunshine, although a keen wind cut through Windsor's streets.
- Gone was Friday's bright sunshine, replaced by cloud and a keen wind that made hardy souls of those camped out overnight outside Westminster Abbey or along The Mall.
- The steering arm thrums under their hand, the deck heaves beneath their feet and the keen salt wind cuts like a knife through even a good sealskin cloak.
Synonyms
cold, icy, freezing, harsh, raw, bitter;
penetrating, piercing, biting, sharp, stinging
2.5 literary (Of a smell, light, or sound) penetrating; clear: ear-splitting explosive bursts, keen and sharp...
- Claire gritted her teeth against the pain, a high, keen sound escaping her lips.
3British (Of activity or feeling) intense: there could be keen competition to provide the service...
- Among Earnhardt's many passions was a keen love of deer hunting, fishing, and recreational activities.
- Cricket was my keen interest, my passion and my everlasting love.
- The league is set to provide a lot of interest and keen competition among the enthusiasts.
Synonyms
intense, acute, extreme, fierce, violent, passionate, consuming, burning, fervent, fervid, ardent;
strong, powerful, profound, deep-seated
3.1(Of prices) very low; competitive: we offer extremely keen rates...
- Most well-run companies will have mainstream costs under control and will have professional buyers negotiating keen prices for all raw materials.
- Prices are keen, starting at €19,500 for the 1.4 litre saloon and an extra €200 for the estate body.
- Ex-company cars at two to three years old can represent very good value for money if bought at keen prices, as they will have been serviced regularly under a lease plan.
4 [predicative] North American informal, dated Excellent: I would soon fly to distant stars—how keen!
Phrases
(as) keen as mustard
Origin
Old English cēne 'wise, clever', also 'brave, daring', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch koen and German kühn 'bold, brave'. Current senses date from Middle English.
Rhymes
keen2
/kiːn/verb [no object]
1Wail in grief for a dead person: the body of Johnny was taken by his own people who keened over him (as adjective keening) their keening womenfolk...
- She could hear voices speaking in soothing tones, but Anna keened and wailed, and Kathleen tried not to imagine the scene on the other side of the door.
- Act Three ends powerfully, with the village in flames, good Soviet citizens hanging by their necks, and keening women, including one who is given a ‘mad scene’ of sorts.
- They cried, they keened, they wailed.
1.1 (usually as noun keening) Make an eerie wailing sound: the keening of the cold night wind...
- Her seminal musical works use what are called extended vocal techniques, such as overtone and throat singing, yodeling, keening, percussive sounds, and micro-tonality.
- Then there was the high keening wail of the emergency vehicles.
- His pleasantly keening voice is just not enough.
noun
An Irish funeral song accompanied by wailing in lamentation for the dead.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Irish caoinim 'I wail'.