KEEN Synonyms: 612 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'keen' contrast with its synonyms?

The words acute and sharp are common synonyms of keen . While all three words mean "having or showing alert competence and clear understanding," keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm, and a penetrating mind. // a keen observer of the political scene

Q: In what contexts can 'acute' take the place of 'keen'?

The meanings of acute and keen largely overlap; however, acute implies a power to penetrate and may suggest subtlety and sharpness of discrimination. // an acute sense of style

Q: When would 'sharp' be a good substitute for 'keen'?

While the synonyms sharp and keen are close in meaning, sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, or sometimes questionable trickiness. // sharp enough to spot a confidence game

keen 1 of 3

adjective

ˈkēn

Definition of keen next

as in sensitive

able to sense slight impressions or differences pilots with especially keen eyesight

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as in biting

causing intense discomfort to one's skin the keen wind gave me chapped lips

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as in sharpened

having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something lanced the boil with a keen scalpel

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as in quick

having or showing quickness of mind readers who were keen enough to realize that the writer was being satirical

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as in excellent

of the very best kind that new digital camera sure is keen

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as in excited

showing urgent desire or interest a keen hunger for fame and fortune in the fashion industry

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as in intense

extreme in degree, power, or effect movies gave him keen enjoyment like nothing else

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keen

2 of 3

noun

as in wail

a crying out in grief the loud keens of the widows were heard throughout the war-ravaged city

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keen

3 of 3

verb

as in to complain

to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely victims of the disaster have been keening for weeks about the slowness of governmental aid

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as in to howl

to make a long loud mournful sound mourners keening for the victims of the bombing

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective keen contrast with its synonyms?

The words acute and sharp are common synonyms of keen. While all three words mean "having or showing alert competence and clear understanding," keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm, and a penetrating mind.

a keen observer of the political scene

In what contexts can acute take the place of keen?

The meanings of acute and keen largely overlap; however, acute implies a power to penetrate and may suggest subtlety and sharpness of discrimination.

an acute sense of style

When would sharp be a good substitute for keen?

While the synonyms sharp and keen are close in meaning, sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, or sometimes questionable trickiness.

sharp enough to spot a confidence game

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of keen

Adjective

In the midst of TikTok going dark in the U.S. (and then coming back online less than 24 hours later), users have been flocking to a similar Chinese app, whose owners are keen to capitalize on their rival’s uncertain future. —

Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2025 The appetite for sustainable and renewable investing remains high, but there is a hangover amongst sustainable investors who are keen to see the tension between profitability and sustainability go away. —

Jeff Fromm, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

Noun

For those keen on camping, this portable, self-inflating tent is designed to be water- and weather-resistant. —

Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 9 Jan. 2023 All three species are, in fact, powerful stimulants, and, as such, have long attracted those keen to enjoy their attributes. —

Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2022

Verb

In these wondrously transporting images of juddering waves and swirling particles, accompanied by the rumbling, surging, keening strains of Ludwig Göransson’s magnificent score, Nolan makes a rare leap into realms of pure cinematic abstraction. —

Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2023 Ayler burst onto the New York scene, in 1963, with a roaring and screeching and keening fervor that left behind conventional forms of rhythm and harmony but added the folk elements of spirituals, marches, and blues—and a realm of spirits and ghosts that inhabit those forms. —

Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 July 2023 See all Example Sentences for keen

Recent Examples of Synonyms for keen

Adjective

Allergies acting up: Homeowners who are sensitive to dust, pollen, or animal hair may notice their allergies acting up before anything else.

— Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2025
During the 2024 presidential campaign, as Musk embraced the Republican Party and then Trump, his pro-China views brought him into conflict with parts of the MAGA coalition, including on the sensitive topic of immigration.

— John Hyatt, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025