keen
UK /kiːn/ · US /kin/ adjective, verb, noun, proper noun
Forms keener keenest keens keening keened keene kene
- adjective (chiefly Commonwealth) Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested. “I’m keen on computers.”
- adjective Fierce, intense, vehement. “This boy has a keen appetite.”
- adjective Having a fine edge or point; sharp.
- adjective Acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp.
- adjective Acrimonious, bitter, piercing. “keen satire or sarcasm”
- adjective (of cold, wind, etc.) Cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp. “a keen wind”
- adjective (UK) Of prices, extremely low as to be competitive.
- adjective (US, informal, dated) Marvelous. “I just got this peachy keen new dress.”
- verb (transitive, rare) To make cold, to sharpen.
- noun A prolonged wail for a deceased person.
- verb (intransitive) To utter a keen.
- verb (transitive) To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
- verb (transitive) To mourn.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
ardent eager prompt hot on sharp acute penetrating shrewd astute brainy bright brilliant clever educated genius gifted hivey ingenious intellectual intelligent lament discriminating incisive knifelike penetrative piercing exquisite bang-up bully corking
Etymology
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, skilful, experienced, clever, capable”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”).
Cognate with Danish køn (“handsome, pretty”), Dutch kien (“smart, wise, able”), koen (“daring, valiant, doughty, courageous”), German kühn (“bold, daring, audacious, hardy, valiant, venturesome”), Icelandic kænn (“wise, crafty, clever, able”), Faroese kønur (“expert (in, on), experienced, skilful, able, capable”), Scots keen (“lively, brisk; avaricious”). Related to Old English cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”). More at cunning, can.
From Irish caoin (“to lament, keen”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Sharp; having a fine edge or point; as, a keen razor, or a razor with a keen edge.
- adjective Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features.
- verb To sharpen; to make cold. [R.]
- noun A prolonged wail for a deceased person. Cf. Coranach. [Ireland]
Etymology [OE. kene sharp, bold, AS.c bold; akin to D. koen, OHG. kuoni, G. kühn, OSw. kyn, kön, Icel. kænn, for koenn wise; perh. akin to E. ken, can to be able. 1. Sharp; having a fine edge or point; as, a keen razor, or a razor with a keen edge. A bow he bare and arwes [arrows]
Etymology [Ir. caoine.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “keen”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details