keen Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a funeral lament sung with loud wailing
  2. verb express grief verbally
    lament.
    • we lamented the death of the child
  3. adjective satellite having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
    acute; penetrating; incisive; penetrative; piercing; discriminating; sharp; knifelike.
    • an acute observer of politics and politicians
    • incisive comments
    • icy knifelike reasoning
    • as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang
    • penetrating insight
    • frequent penetrative observations
  4. adjective satellite intense or sharp
    exquisite.
    • suffered exquisite pain
    • felt exquisite pleasure
  5. adjective satellite very good
    groovy; dandy; corking; bully; not bad; swell; smashing; great; slap-up; neat; cracking; nifty; peachy; bang-up.
    • he did a bully job
    • a neat sports car
    • had a great time at the party
    • you look simply smashing
  6. adjective satellite painful as if caused by a sharp instrument
    lancinate; piercing; cutting; stabbing; lancinating; knifelike.
    • a cutting wind
    • keen winds
    • knifelike cold
    • piercing knifelike pains
    • piercing cold
    • piercing criticism
    • a stabbing pain
    • lancinating pain
  7. adjective satellite having a sharp cutting edge or point
    • a keen blade

WordNet

Keen adjective
Etymology
OE. kene sharp, bold, AS.cne 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. 45.
Wordforms
comparative Keener ; superlative Keenest
Definitions
  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] bright and kene. Chaucer.
    That my keen knife see not the wound it makes. Shak.
  2. Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features.
    To make our wits more keen. Shak.
    Before the keen inquiry of her thought. Cowper.
  3. Bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.
    Good father cardinal, cry thou amen To my keen curses. Shak.
  4. Piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc, ; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
    Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes. Goldsmith.
  5. Eager; vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite. "Of full kene will." Piers Plowman.
    So keen and greedy to confound a man. Shak.
    ✍ 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. Syn. -- Prompt; eager; ardent; sharp; acute; cutting; penetrating; biting; severe; sarcastic; satirical; piercing; shrewd.
Keen transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To sharpen; to make cold. R.
    Cold winter keens the brightening flood. Thomson.
Keen noun
Etymology
Ir. caoine.
Definitions
  1. A prolonged wail for a deceased person. Cf. Coranach. Ireland Froude.
Keen intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To wail as a keener does. Ireland

Webster 1913