Keen — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun /ˈkēn/

Meaning & Definition of Keen

Keen (adjective)

  1. intellectually alert, having or characteristic of a quick penetrating mind; also, shrewdly astute
  2. extremely sensitive in perception
  3. sharply contested

Keen (verb)

  1. to make a loud and long cry of sorrow, to lament with a keen
  2. to make a sound suggestive of a loud cry of sorrow
  3. to lament, mourn, or complain loudly

Keen (noun)

  1. a lamentation for the dead uttered in a loud wailing voice or sometimes in a wordless cry

Keen (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. able to sense slight impressions or differences

    "pilots with especially keen eyesight"

    similar: acute, delicate, fine, perceptive, quick, sensitive, sharp
    related: accurate, clear, discerning, good, piercing, precise, receptive, sensible, subtle, hair-trigger, hyperacute, hypersensitive, oversensitive, supersensitive
    near: bad, deadened, dimmed, dull, dulled, fading, dead, imperceptive, insensible, insensitive, numb, imprecise, inaccurate

  2. causing intense discomfort to one's skin

    "the keen wind gave me chapped lips"

    similar: biting, bitter, cutting, penetrating, piercing, raw, sharp, shrewd, smarting, stinging
    related: brisk, invigorating, nippy, snappy, needlelike, prickly, tingling, caustic, corrosive
    near: balmy, gentle, mild, soothing

  3. having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something

    "lanced the boil with a keen scalpel"

    similar: cutting, edged, edgy, ground, honed, sharp, sharpened, stropped, trenchant, whetted
    related: clawlike, daggerlike, knifelike, jabbing, jagged, lacerating, piercing, scratching, stabbing, pointed, pointy, spiky
    opposite: blunt, blunted, dull, dulled, obtuse
    near: rounded, smooth, soft, even, flat, level, slick

  4. having or showing quickness of mind

    "readers who were keen enough to realize that the writer was being satirical"

    similar: alert, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, exceptional, fast, hyperintelligent, intelligent, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp, sharp-witted, smart, supersmart, ultrasmart
    related: apt, ingenious, resourceful, acute, astute, discerning, heady, insightful, knowing, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sapient, savvy, wise, cerebral, erudite, genial, highbrow, knowledgeable, learned, literate, scholarly, well-read, educated, informed, schooled, skilled, trained, creative, inventive, judicious, prudent, sage, sane, sensible, sound, crafty, cunning, foxy, shrewd, wily, logical, rational, reasonable
    opposite: airheaded, birdbrained, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey, dorky (slang), dull, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, fatuous, gormless (chiefly British), half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, mindless, obtuse, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, stupid, thick, thickheaded, thick-witted, unbrilliant, unintelligent, unsmart, vacuous, weak-minded, witless
    near: feebleminded, simpleminded, boobish, foolish, half-baked, idiotic, imbecile, moronic, silly, ignorant, illiterate, lowbrow, nonintellectual, unacademic, uneducated, uninformed, unintellectual, untaught, unthinking, absurd, asinine, balmy, cockeyed, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dippy, dotty, featherheaded, fool, harebrained, insane, kooky, loony, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, tomfool, unwise, wacky, zany

  5. of the very best kind

    "that new digital camera sure is keen"

    similar: A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, bonny (chiefly British), boss (slang), brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, cool (slang), corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dope (slang), down (slang), dynamite, excellent, fab, fabulous, famous, fantabulous (slang), fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters, gilt-edged, gone (slang), grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-class, hot, hype (slang), immense, jim-dandy, lovely, marvelous, mean, neat, nifty, noble, number one, numero uno, out-of-sight (slang), par excellence, peachy, peachy keen, phat (slang), prime, primo (slang), prize, prizewinning, quality, radical (slang), righteous (slang), sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, top-of-the-line, top-shelf, topflight, topping (chiefly British), unsurpassed, wizard (chiefly British), wonderful, out of this world, too much
    related: acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, good, OK, passable, satisfactory, tolerable, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, high-test, premium, select, special, superfine, classical, standard, traditional
    opposite: atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched
    near: bad, inferior, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory, mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rate

  6. showing urgent desire or interest

    "a keen hunger for fame and fortune in the fashion industry"

    similar: agog, antsy, anxious, ardent, athirst, avid, bonkers (informal), crazy, desirous, eager, enthused, enthusiastic, excited, gaga, geeked (slang), great, greedy, gung ho, hepped up, hopped-up, hot, hungry, impatient, juiced, nuts, pumped, raring, solicitous, stoked (slang), thirsty, voracious, wild, champing at the bit, chomping at the bit
    related: engaged, interested, happy, hung up, obsessed, ambitious, appetent, covetous, craving, hankering, longing, pining, breathless, restive, restless, amenable, disposed, game, glad, inclined, ready, unreluctant, willing
    opposite: apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic
    near: casual, incurious, insouciant, nonchalant, unconcerned, uninterested, aloof, detached, disinterested, impassive, stolid, halfhearted, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, lukewarm, spiritless, averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath, reluctant, unwilling

  7. extreme in degree, power, or effect

    "movies gave him keen enjoyment like nothing else"

    similar: acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, excruciating, explosive, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, ferocious, fierce, frightful, furious, ghastly, hard, heavy, heavy-duty, hellacious, intense, intensive, profound, terrible, vehement, vicious, violent
    related: accentuated, aggravated, concentrated, deepened, emphasized, enhanced, heightened, intensified, magnified, stressed, exhaustive, thorough, harsh, rigorous, severe
    opposite: light, moderate, soft
    near: feeble, weak, shallow, superficial, moderated, qualified, alleviated, eased, lightened, toned (down), abated, decreased, diminished, lessened, reduced, subdued

Keen (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a crying out in grief

    "the loud keens of the widows were heard throughout the war-ravaged city"

    similar: groan, howl, lament, lamentation, moan, plaint, wail
    related: cry, sob, tears, agonizing, grieving, mourning, sorrowing, suffering, weeping, hand-wringing, regret, complaint, cri de coeur, outcry, protest, anguish, dolor, grief, heartache, heartbreak, sorrow, woe
    opposite: exultation, rejoicing
    near: cheering, laughing, smiling

Keen (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely

    "victims of the disaster have been keening for weeks about the slowness of governmental aid"

    similar: beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, inveigh, kick, kvetch, maunder (chiefly British), moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, whinge (British), yammer, yawp, yowl, kick up a fuss
    related: object (to), protest, quarrel (with), cavil, quibble, fret, stew, worry, blubber, cry, sob, bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament
    opposite: crow, delight, rejoice
    near: accept, bear, countenance, endure, take, tolerate, applaud, cheer, commend

  2. to make a long loud mournful sound

    "mourners keening for the victims of the bombing"

    similar: bay, howl, ululate, wail, yowl
    related: bawl, caterwaul, scream, screech, shriek, shrill, squall, squeal, yawp, yell, yelp

Related Entry: Peachy keen (adjective)

Peachy keen is a different word from Keen. The synonyms below are for peachy keen, not for keen.

  1. of the very best kind

    "back is the days when a wienie roast was a peachy keen way to spend a date"

    similar: A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, bonny (chiefly British), boss (slang), brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, cool (slang), corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dope (slang), down (slang), dynamite, excellent, fab, fabulous, famous, fantabulous (slang), fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters, gilt-edged, gone (slang), grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-class, hot, hype (slang), immense, jim-dandy, keen, lovely, marvelous, mean, neat, nifty, noble, number one, numero uno, out-of-sight (slang), par excellence, peachy, phat (slang), prime, primo (slang), prize, prizewinning, quality, radical (slang), righteous (slang), sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, top-of-the-line, top-shelf, topflight, topping (chiefly British), unsurpassed, wizard (chiefly British), wonderful, out of this world, too much
    related: acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, good, OK, passable, satisfactory, tolerable, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, high-test, premium, select, special, superfine, classical, standard, traditional
    opposite: atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched
    near: bad, inferior, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory, mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rate

Related Entry: Keenness (noun)

Keenness is a different word from Keen. The synonyms below are for keenness, not for keen.

  1. a harsh or sharp quality

    "the keenness of the knife should tell you that it was sharpened recently"

    "a writer famous for the keenness of her wit"

    similar: acerbity, acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, acrimoniousness, acrimony, acuteness, asperity, bite, bitterness, edge, harshness, poignance, poignancy, pungency, roughness, sharpness, tartness
    related: ginger, punch, spice, tang, raucousness, severeness, severity, shrillness, virulence, vitriol, cattiness, maliciousness, pointedness, thorniness
    opposite: mildness, softness
    near: gentleness, kindliness

  2. urgent desire or interest

    "was looking forward to his birthday party with the keenness of a youngster"

    similar: appetite, ardor, avidity, avidness, desirousness, eagerness, enthusiasm, excitement, hunger, impatience, lust, thirst
    related: alacrity, quickness, ambition, gusto, zest, appetence, appetency, fervency, passion, warmth, zeal, amenability, readiness, willingness
    opposite: apathy, indifference
    near: casualness, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern, aloofness, detachment, impassivity, languidness, languor, halfheartedness, lukewarmness

  3. exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters

    "had the financial keenness to know that the stock was overvalued"

    similar: acumen, astuteness, caginess, canniness, clear-sightedness, foxiness, hardheadedness, intelligence, knowingness, sharpness, shrewdness, wit
    related: discernment, insight, perception, perceptiveness, perceptivity, percipience, sagaciousness, sagacity, sageness, sapience, wisdom, artfulness, artifice, craft, craftiness, cunning, deviousness, guile, slickness, slyness, sneakiness, subtleness, subtlety, wiliness, brain(s), gray matter, intellect, reason, sense
    near: artlessness, greenness, guilelessness, ingenuousness, innocence, naiveness, naïveté, simplemindedness, simpleness, simplicity, unsophistication, unworldliness, brainlessness, density, doltishness, dopiness, dumbness, fatuity, foolishness, half-wittedness, mindlessness, oafishness, obtuseness, senselessness, slowness, stupidity, stupidness, vacuity, witlessness

  4. the state or quality of being able to sense slight impressions or differences

    "there's an enhanced keenness of hearing that young mothers seem to develop"

    similar: acuity, acuteness, delicacy, perceptiveness, perceptivity, sensitiveness, sensitivity, sharpness
    related: hyperacuity, hypersensitiveness, hypersensitivity, oversensitiveness, oversensitivity, supersensitivity, accuracy, exactitude, exactness, fineness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Keen

The most common words with a similar meaning to Keen:

Slang: boss, cool, dope, down, fantabulous, gone, hype, out-of-sight, phat, primo, radical, righteous
Chiefly British: bonny, topping, wizard, maunder
Informal: bonkers
British: whinge
acute, delicate, fine, perceptive, quick, sensitive, sharp, biting, bitter, cutting, penetrating, piercing, raw, shrewd, smarting, stinging, edged, edgy, ground, honed, sharpened, stropped, trenchant, whetted, alert, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, exceptional, fast, hyperintelligent, intelligent, nimble, quick-witted, sharp-witted, smart, supersmart, ultrasmart, A-OK

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Keen

Words with the opposite meaning of Keen:

blunt, blunted, dull, dulled, obtuse, airheaded, birdbrained, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey, dorky, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, fatuous, gormless, half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, mindless, opaque, pinheaded

Related Words for Keen

accurate, clear, discerning, good, precise, receptive, sensible, subtle, hair-trigger, hyperacute, hypersensitive, oversensitive, supersensitive, brisk, invigorating, nippy, snappy, needlelike, prickly, tingling, caustic, corrosive, clawlike, daggerlike, knifelike, jabbing, jagged, lacerating, scratching, stabbing

Near Antonyms of Keen

bad, deadened, dimmed, fading, dead, imperceptive, insensible, insensitive, numb, imprecise, inaccurate, balmy, gentle, mild, soothing, rounded, smooth, even, flat, level, slick, feebleminded, simpleminded, boobish, foolish, half-baked, idiotic, imbecile, moronic, silly

Word Forms of Keen

Inflections: keened, keening, keens

Derived words: keenly (adverb), keenness (noun), keener (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Keen

Middle English kene brave, sharp, from Old English cēne brave; akin to Old High German kuoni brave

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Keen

Words & Phrases Containing Keen

keen on, keen ear, peachy keen, (as) keen as mustard, mad keen on, good/keen/sharp eye, keen/sharp eye

Frequently Asked Questions about Keen

What does "Keen" mean?

"Keen" means intellectually alert, having or characteristic of a quick penetrating mind; also, shrewdly astute. As an an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: intellectually alert, having or characteristic of a quick penetrating mind; also, shrewdly astute. It has 10 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Keen"?

Other words for "Keen" include acute, delicate, fine, perceptive, quick, sensitive, sharp and biting. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Keen" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Keen"?

There are 406 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Keen". Common alternatives include acute, delicate, fine, perceptive, quick, sensitive, sharp, biting, bitter and cutting.

What is a slang word for "Keen"?

Slang words for "Keen" include boss, cool, dope, down, fantabulous and gone.

What is the opposite of "Keen"?

Antonyms of "Keen" include blunt, blunted, dull, dulled, obtuse, airheaded, birdbrained and boneheaded. Near antonyms include bad, deadened, dimmed and fading.

How do you use "Keen" in a sentence?

Examples of "Keen" in a sentence: "pilots with especially keen eyesight"; "the keen wind gave me chapped lips"; "lanced the boil with a keen scalpel".

Is "Keen" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Keen" can be used as an adjective, a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Keen" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Keen" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.