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keen - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'keen' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Keen [ n.]
- A prolonged wail for a deceased person. Cf. Coranach.
2 . Keen [ superl.]
- Sharp; having a fine edge or point; as, a keen razor, or a razor with a keen edge.
- Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features.
- Bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.
- Piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc, ; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
- Eager; vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite.
3 . Keen [ v. i.]
- To wail as a keener does.
4 . Keen [ v. t.]
- To sharpen; to make cold.

Meaning of 'keen' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . keen [ v]
Meaning (1):
- express grief verbally
Example in sentence:
  • we lamented the death of the child
2 . keen [ s]
Meaning (2):
- painful as if caused by a sharp instrument
Example in sentence:
  • a cutting wind;
  • a stabbing pain;
  • keen winds;
  • knifelike cold;
  • lancinating pain;
  • piercing cold;
  • piercing criticism;
  • piercing knifelike pains
Meaning (3):
- having a sharp cutting edge or point
Example in sentence:
  • a keen blade
Meaning (4):
- very good
Example in sentence:
  • a neat sports car;
  • had a great time at the party;
  • he did a bully job;
  • we had a grand old time;
  • you look simply smashing
Meaning (5):
- having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
Example in sentence:
  • an acute observer of politics and politicians;
  • as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang;
  • frequent penetrative observations;
  • icy knifelike reasoning;
  • incisive comments;
  • penetrating insight
Meaning (6):
- intense or sharp
Example in sentence:
  • felt exquisite pleasure;
  • suffered exquisite pain

Nearby Words:

kee keech keel keelage keeled keeler keelfat keelhaul keelhauled keelhauling

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