keen

¹ American  

[keen] / kin /

adjective

keener, keenest

1. finely sharpened, as an edge; so shaped as to cut or pierce substances readily.

   a keen razor.

   Antonyms:

   dull

2. sharp, piercing, or biting.

   a keen wind;

   keen satire.

   Synonyms:

   caustic, bitter, cutting

3. characterized by strength and distinctness of perception; extremely sensitive or responsive.

   keen eyes;

   keen ears.

   Synonyms:

   acute, penetrating, piercing

4. having or showing great mental penetration or acumen.

   keen reasoning;

   a keen mind.

   Synonyms:

   clever, shrewd, sagacious, astute, acute, discerning

   Antonyms:

   obtuse, dull

5. animated by or showing strong feeling or desire.

   keen competition.

6. intense, as feeling or desire.

   keen ambition;

   keen jealousy.

7. eager; interested; enthusiastic; (often followed by about, on, etc., or an infinitive).

   She is really keen on going swimming.

   Synonyms:

   fervid, earnest

8. Older Slang. great; wonderful; marvelous.

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keen ² American  

[keen] / kin /

noun

1. a wailing lament for the dead.

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verb (used without object)

1. to wail in lamentation for the dead.

verb (used with object)

1. to mourn for by or with such keening or wailing.

   keening his mother while kneeling at her grave.

keen ¹ British  

/ kiːn /

adjective

1. eager or enthusiastic

2. fond (of); devoted (to)

   keen on a girl

   keen on golf

3. intellectually acute

   a keen wit

4. (of sight, smell, hearing, etc) capable of recognizing fine distinctions

5. having a sharp cutting edge or point

6. extremely cold and penetrating

   a keen wind

7. intense or strong

   a keen desire

8. extremely low so as to be competitive

   keen prices

9. slang very good

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keen ² British  

/ kiːn /

verb

1. to lament the dead

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noun

1. a dirge or lament for the dead

Usage

What does keen mean? Keen commonly means eager, interested, or enthusiastic. This sense of the word is often followed by about or on and the particular interest, as in He’s very keen on music. More generally, keen means sharp, intense, or strong. It can be used to mean sharp in a literal way, as in a keen blade. It can also be used in several figurative ways. A keen sense of smell is one that’s very strong and perceptive. A keen intellect is one that’s sharp in the sense of being mentally strong. A keen desire is an intense one. A keen satire and a keen wind are both piercing and biting—they both sting. The word keen can also be used as a slang term meaning wonderful or splendid, and this is how it’s used in the phrase peachy keen, which is used as an informal and playful way to describe something as excellent or wonderful. Example: He showed keen jealousy over my keen knife.

Related Words

See sharp. See avid.

Other Word Forms

• keener
  noun
• keenly
  adverb
• keenness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of keen¹

First recorded before 900; 1930–35 keen ¹ for def. 8; Middle English kene, Old English cēne; cognate with German kühn, Old High German chuoni “bold,” Old Norse kœnn “wise, skillful”

Origin of keen²

First recorded in 1780–90 for the verb; from Irish caoin-, stem of caoinim “(I) lament”; noun derivative of the verb

Explanation

If you have a keen interest in something, you are really, really into it. Keen is an adjective that describes something that is intense, sharp, or focused. The word keen comes from the Old English word cene that translates to "bold and brave" and while the spelling is now really different, the sounds are similar. Variations of keen as being "bold" and "strong" show up in other languages, but only English has the meaning of "sharp" — relating to "an edge or blade." Keen has a lot of close — and brutal — synonyms, such as caustic, cutting, piercing, and penetrating. It can also be used as a verb to mean "express grief or pain out loud."

Example Sentences

Putin, who in turn called Xi his "dear friend", will be keen to show the world their relations are unaffected by Trump's visit.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

Jhaj, who speaks some Hindi, which he learnt in a government school around their settlement, has become a keen volleyball player.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

"The self-contained community survived for several thousand years, but with some kind of peaceful situation -- unlike the present day's disturbing situation, where everyone is keen to 'glorify' themselves by seeing the Sentinelese."

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Swatch stores in Manchester and Liverpool were shut for a second day after queues built up again, with shoppers keen to purchase a new £335 pocket watch.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

For the moment, she seemed genuinely keen to evade the Ravens, guiding him along little twisting deer-paths that clung to the best cover.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

• anxious
• ardent
• avid
• eager
• fervent
• fierce
• impatient
• intense