Keen

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kiːn/
• Rhymes: -iːn
• Homophones: Keane, Keene

From Middle English kene ("bold, brave, sharp"), from Old English cēne ("keen, fierce, bold, brave, warlike, powerful, learned, clever, wise"), from Proto-Germanic *kōniz ("knowledgeable, skillful, experienced, clever, capable"), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenə-, *ǵnō- ("to know"). Cognate with Scots keen ("lively, brisk, avaricious"), Dutch koen ("daring, valiant, doughty, courageous"), German kühn ("bold, daring, audacious, hardy, valiant, venturesome"), Danish køn ("handsome, pretty"), Icelandic kænn ("wise, crafty, clever, able"). Related to Old English cunnan ("to know how to, be able to"). More at cunning, can.

Alternative forms

• keene, kene archaic

Full definition of keen

Adjective

1. showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense.
2. vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite.
• unknown date, Piers PlowmanOf full keen will.
• unknown date, ShakespeareSo keen and greedy to confound a man.
3. sharp; having a fine edge or point.
• unknown date William Shakespeare, :That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.
4. acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness.
• unknown date, ShakespeareTo make our wits more keen.
• unknown date, CowperBefore the keen inquiry of her thought.
5. bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.
• unknown date ShakespeareGood father cardinal, cry thou amen to my keen curses.
6. piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc,; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
• unknown date, GoldsmithBreasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.
7. (often with "to" + infinitive or with a prepositional phrase) EnthusiasticI'm keen to learn another language.I'm keen on learning another language.I'm keen on languages.I'm keen about learning languages.I'm keen for help.''"Do you want to learn another language?"
   "I'm keen."
8. (US, informal, dated) Marvelous.I just got this peachy keen new dress.
9. (UK) extremely low as to be competitive.keen prices
10. (obsolete) brave, courageous; bold, audacious.

Usage notes

Keen is often used in the composition of words, most of which are of obvious signification; as, keen-edged, keen-eyed, keen-sighted, keen-witted, etc.

Synonyms

• prompt; eager; ardent; sharp; acute; cutting; penetrating; biting; severe; sarcastic; satirical; piercing; shrewd.

Derived terms

• keen-witted
• keen as mustard
• keen on
• keenly
• keenness

Verb

1. (transitive, rare) To sharpen; to make cold.
• unknown date, Thomson.Cold winter keens the brightening flood.

From Irish caoin ("keen, weep, cry").

Noun

1. A prolonged wail for a deceased person.
• 1922, w, “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days Chapter 3/5/1, ... she went so swiftly that he could only follow her to the door. The large shape of the car swallowed her up; and the car twisted softly around the little drive and away to the London road. Minutes later he heard its Klaxon, just one sharp keen, like the harsh cry of a sea-bird.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To utter a keen.
• unknown date Stuart Howard-Jones (1904-1974), Hibernia. Collected in The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse, 1978.Keen—meaning 'brisk'? Nay, here the Language warps:
  'Tis singing bawdy Ballads to a Corpse.
2. (transitive) To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
• 2001, Mercedes Lackey, Brightly Burning, Satiran, lost in his own grief, shuddered once, then lifted his head to the sky and keened out his loss to the heavens.
3. (transitive) To mourn.
• 1996, Virginia Brodine, Seed of the fire, I keened my Gran, I keened my babies, but then my words poured out of my grief. I don 't have the full heart like that for Owen, sorry as I am for his goin. Without the heavy grief on me I can maybe think of the words easier

Related terms

• keener

Anagrams

• knee