keenly
Americanadverb
-
in a way or to a degree that is very sharply or distinctly felt.
As a husband and father, he is keenly aware of the risks inherent in his new construction job.
-
in a way that shows great mental perceptiveness or insight.
He showed foreign policy savvy and an ability to keenly analyze both sides of an issue.
-
with strong or intense emotion or desire; eagerly.
We committee members are keenly interested in addressing these important issues head-on.
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in a sharply focused way; intently.
Participants listened keenly to the training presentation.
Etymology
Origin of keenly
First recorded before 1000; keen 1 ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
Keenly is used to describe things that are intense or deeply perceptive. If you're keenly aware that your sister is grouchy in the morning, you'll steer clear of her until lunch time. Sometimes keenly means "enthusiastically," like when you keenly anticipate the next installment in your favorite science fiction book series. In the U.S., it's more commonly used to describe a profound kind of intensity. A movie character might be keenly desperate; your friend may demonstrate how keenly intelligent she is during her debate; or you may keenly regret telling your grandmother what you really thought of her new tattoo.
Vocabulary lists containing keenly
RBG's Brave & Brilliant Women
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I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79
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Honey and Me
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Zepbound-Wegovy race made Lilly keenly aware of having to play catch-up.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
Sotomayor is writing, Steiker noted, “to institutional actors—judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers—to make clear that the court, or least some portion of it, is keenly aware of problems that it is not presently able to correct.”
From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026
Byrne has always had a knack for marrying camp with earnest determination, as though she’s keenly aware of how often the two intersect in everyday life.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
My neighborhood barber, who quietly says “Bismillah,” meaning “in the name of God,” before putting the buzzer to my head, is keenly aware of this.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
“Because if I find in myself—and I shall watch keenly for it—a sign of harm to any that I love, I shall die!”
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
