keen
(redirected from keened)Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms.
keen 1
(kēn)adj. keen·er, keen·est
1. Having a fine, sharp cutting edge or point.
2. Having or marked by intellectual quickness and acuity. See Synonyms at sharp.
3. Acutely sensitive: a keen ear.
4. Sharp; vivid; strong: "His entire body hungered for keen sensation, something exciting" (Richard Wright).
5. Intense or bracing: a keen wind.
6. Pungent; acrid: A keen smell of skunk was left behind.
7.
a. Ardent; enthusiastic: a keen chess player.
b. Eagerly desirous: keen on going to Europe in the spring.
8. Slang Great; splendid; fine: What a keen day!
[Middle English kene, from Old English cēne, brave.]
keen′ly adv.
keen′ness n.
keen 2
(kēn)n.
A loud wailing or lament for the dead.
intr.v. keened, keen·ing, keens
To wail in lamentation, especially for the dead. See Synonyms at cry.
[From Irish Gaelic caoineadh, from caonim, I lament, from Old Irish caínim, coínim, perhaps of Brittonic origin.]
keen′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
keen
(kiːn)adj
1. eager or enthusiastic
2. (foll by: on) 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. chiefly Brit extremely low so as to be competitive: keen prices.
9. slang chiefly US and Canadian very good
[Old English cēne; related to Old High German kuoni brave, Old Norse koenn wise; see can1, know]
ˈkeenly adv
ˈkeenness n
keen
(kiːn)vb (intr)
to lament the dead
n
a dirge or lament for the dead
[C19: from Irish Gaelic caoine, from Old Irish coīnim I wail]
ˈkeener n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
keen1
(kin)adj. -er, -est.
1. finely sharpened; so shaped as to cut or pierce readily: a keen razor.
2. sharp, piercing, or biting: a keen wind.
3. acutely or finely perceptive; extremely sensitive, responsive, or alert: keen ears; a keen mind.
4. having great acumen; astute: a keen observer of human nature.
5. animated by strong feeling or desire: keen competition.
6. intense, as feeling or desire.
7. eager; interested; enthusiastic (often fol. by about, on, etc., or an infinitive): I was keen to go swimming.
8. Slang. great; wonderful; marvelous.
[before 900; Middle English kene, Old English cēne; c. Old High German chuoni bold, Old Norse kŒnn wise, skillful]
keen′ly, adv.
keen′ness, n.
syn: See sharp.
keen2
(kin)n.
1. a wailing lament for the dead.
v.i. 2. to wail in lamentation for the dead.
v.t. 3. to bewail or lament by or with keening.
[1805–15; < Irish caoine lament]
keen′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
keen
Past participle: keened
Gerund: keening
| Imperative |
|---|
| keen |
| keen |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | keen - a funeral lament sung with loud wailing |
| Verb | 1. | keen - express grief verbally; "we lamented the death of the child" express emotion, express feelings - give verbal or other expression to one's feelings |
| Adj. | 1. |  keen - having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; "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"perceptive - having the ability to perceive or understand; keen in discernment; "a perceptive eye"; "a perceptive observation" |
| 2. | keen - intense or sharp; "suffered exquisite pain"; "felt exquisite pleasure" intense - possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree; "intense heat"; "intense anxiety"; "intense desire"; "intense emotion"; "the skunk's intense acrid odor"; "intense pain"; "enemy fire was intense" | |
| 3. |  keen - very good; "he did a bully job"; "a neat sports car"; "had a great time at the party"; "you look simply smashing"bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, nifty, not bad, peachy, slap-up, smashing, swell, groovy, great, neat colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech good - having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified; "good news from the hospital"; "a good report card"; "when she was good she was very very good"; "a good knife is one good for cutting"; "this stump will make a good picnic table"; "a good check"; "a good joke"; "a good exterior paint"; "a good secretary"; "a good dress for the office" | |
| 4. | keen - painful as if caused by a sharp instrument; "a cutting wind"; "keen winds"; "knifelike cold"; "piercing knifelike pains"; "piercing cold"; "piercing criticism"; "a stabbing pain"; "lancinating pain" sharp - keenly and painfully felt; as if caused by a sharp edge or point; "a sharp pain"; "sharp winds" | |
| 5. | keen - having a sharp cutting edge or point; "a keen blade" sharp - having or made by a thin edge or sharp point; suitable for cutting or piercing; "a sharp knife"; "a pencil with a sharp point" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
keen
1adjective
1. eager, earnest, spirited, devoted, intense, fierce, enthusiastic, passionate, ardent, avid, fervent, impassioned, zealous, ebullient, wholehearted, fervid, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (informal) a keen amateur photographer
eager indifferent, lukewarm, uninterested, apathetic, unenthusiastic, half-hearted, laodicean
eager indifferent, lukewarm, uninterested, apathetic, unenthusiastic, half-hearted, laodicean
2. earnest, fierce, intense, vehement, burning, flaming, consuming, eager, passionate, heightened, energetic, ardent, fanatical, fervent, impassioned, fervid his keen sense of loyalty
3. faithful, true, constant, devoted, loyal, patriotic, staunch, dependable, trustworthy, trusty, steadfast, dutiful, unwavering, true-blue, immovable, unswerving, tried and true, true-hearted He's been a keen supporter all his life.
4. sharp, satirical, incisive, trenchant, pointed, cutting, biting, edged, acute, acid, stinging, piercing, penetrating, searing, tart, withering, scathing, pungent, sarcastic, sardonic, caustic, astringent, vitriolic, acerbic, mordant, razor-like, finely honed a keen sense of humour
sharp dull, blunt
sharp dull, blunt
5. perceptive, quick, sharp, brilliant, acute, smart, wise, clever, subtle, piercing, penetrating, discriminating, shrewd, discerning, ingenious, astute, intuitive, canny, incisive, insightful, observant, perspicacious, sapient a man of keen intellect
perceptive dull, obtuse, unperceptive
perceptive dull, obtuse, unperceptive
6. penetrating, clear, powerful, sharp, acute, sensitive, piercing, discerning, perceptive, observant a keen eye for detail
7. intense, strong, fierce, relentless, cut-throat Competition is keen for these awards.
keen on attracted to, fond of, taken with, infatuated with, into (informal), attached to, devoted to, stuck on (informal), enamoured of, sweet on (informal), smitten with Mick has always been very keen on Carla.
keen to anxious to, hoping to, wishing to, determined to, longing to, eager to, dying to, yearning to, itching to, impatient to, ambitious to, desirous to We're keen to wrap the matter up within two or three weeks.
keen
2verb lament, cry, weep, sob, mourn, grieve, howl, sorrow, wail, whine, whimper, bewail He tossed back his head and keened.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
keen 1
adjective1. Having a fine edge, as for cutting:
2. Mentally quick and original:
Idiom: smart as a whip.
3. Possessing or displaying perceptions of great accuracy and sensitivity:
4. Showing or having enthusiasm:
Informal: crazy.
5. Intensely desirous or interested:
Informal: raring.
Idioms: champing at the bit, ready and willing.
keen 2
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
حاد ، مُتَوَقِّد الذِّهْنقارِس ولاذِعمُتَحَمِّسمُتَحَمِّسٌ
dychtivý
ivrigivrig efterskarp
innokas
gorljiv
ákafurnapurskarpur
熱心な
열심인
besižavintislabai mėgstantisveriantis
aizrautīgsassdedzīgsgriezīgskaislīgs
navdušen nadostervnetželjan
angelägen
กระตือรือร้น
say mê
keen
[kiːn]A. ADJ (keener (compar) (keenest (superl)))
1. (= enthusiastic) [supporter] → entusiasta; [student] → aplicado
she's a keen photographer/gardener → es muy aficionada a la fotografía/la jardinería
he's a keen footballer → es muy aficionado a jugar al fútbol
he's a keen cook → le gusta mucho or le encanta cocinar
she's just started and she's still very keen → acaba de empezar y tiene aún mucho entusiasmo
try not to seem too keen → procura no parecer muy interesado
to be keen to do sth → tener interés por hacer algo
I was keen to get started → tenía muchas ganas de empezar
the government is keen to dismiss these rumours → al gobierno le interesa descartar estos rumores
he was keen to point out the financial benefits → tenía sumo interés por hacer resaltar las ventajas económicas, hizo mucho hincapié en las ventajas económicas
to be keen on sth (Brit) I'm not all that keen on grapes → no me gustan mucho las uvas
he's keen on fishing → es muy aficionado a la pesca, le gusta mucho la pesca
I'm not keen on the idea → no me entusiasma or no me hace mucha gracia la idea
both companies were keen on a merger → ambas compañías querían la fusión or tenían interés en la fusión
I'm not very keen on him → no es santo de mi devoción, no me cae demasiado bien
to be keen on doing sth: I'm very keen on horse riding (Brit) → me gusta muchísimo montar a caballo → me encanta montar a caballo; (as a hobby) → soy muy aficionada a montar a caballo
I'm not keen on going → no me apetece mucho ir
to be as keen as mustard → ser extraordinariamente entusiasta
she's a keen photographer/gardener → es muy aficionada a la fotografía/la jardinería
he's a keen footballer → es muy aficionado a jugar al fútbol
he's a keen cook → le gusta mucho or le encanta cocinar
she's just started and she's still very keen → acaba de empezar y tiene aún mucho entusiasmo
try not to seem too keen → procura no parecer muy interesado
to be keen to do sth → tener interés por hacer algo
I was keen to get started → tenía muchas ganas de empezar
the government is keen to dismiss these rumours → al gobierno le interesa descartar estos rumores
he was keen to point out the financial benefits → tenía sumo interés por hacer resaltar las ventajas económicas, hizo mucho hincapié en las ventajas económicas
to be keen on sth (Brit) I'm not all that keen on grapes → no me gustan mucho las uvas
he's keen on fishing → es muy aficionado a la pesca, le gusta mucho la pesca
I'm not keen on the idea → no me entusiasma or no me hace mucha gracia la idea
both companies were keen on a merger → ambas compañías querían la fusión or tenían interés en la fusión
I'm not very keen on him → no es santo de mi devoción, no me cae demasiado bien
to be keen on doing sth: I'm very keen on horse riding (Brit) → me gusta muchísimo montar a caballo → me encanta montar a caballo; (as a hobby) → soy muy aficionada a montar a caballo
I'm not keen on going → no me apetece mucho ir
to be as keen as mustard → ser extraordinariamente entusiasta
2. (= intense) [desire] → fuerte, vivo; [delight] → intenso; [interest] → vivo, grande; [competition, match, struggle] → reñido
his keen sense of loyalty → su gran sentido de la lealtad
his keen sense of loyalty → su gran sentido de la lealtad
3. (= sharp) [edge, blade] → afilado; [wind, air] → cortante; [mind, intelligence] → agudo, penetrante; [intellect, wit, sense of humour] → agudo; [eyesight] → agudo, muy bueno; [hearing] → fino
to have a keen appetite → tener buen apetito
to have a keen eye for detail → tener buen ojo para los detalles
to have a keen nose for sth → tener buen olfato para algo
to have a keen sense of smell → tener buen olfato
to have a keen appetite → tener buen apetito
to have a keen eye for detail → tener buen ojo para los detalles
to have a keen nose for sth → tener buen olfato para algo
to have a keen sense of smell → tener buen olfato
4. (= competitive) [price, rate] → competitivo
B. N (Irl) (Mus) lamento fúnebre por la muerte de una persona
C. VI → lamentar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
keen
[ˈkiːn] adj (= eager) [person] → passionné(e)
She's keen and energetic → Elle est passionnée et énergique.
a keen, enthusiastic lad → un jeune gars passionné et enthousiaste
to seem keen
He doesn't seem very keen → Il n'a pas l'air très enthousiaste., Il n'a pas l'air très passionné.
to be keen on sth (= enjoy) → être passionné par qch
I'm keen on maths → Je suis passionné par les maths.
I'm not very keen on maths → Je ne suis pas passionné par les maths.
She's not too keen on jazz → Elle n'aime pas trop le jazz., Elle n'est pas particulièrement passionnée par le jazz
I'm very keen on sports → Le sport me passionne au plus haut point., Je suis très passionné par le sport.
Boys are just as keen on cooking as girls are → Les garçons sont tout aussi passionnés par la cuisine que les filles., Les garçons se passionnent pour la cuisine tout autant que les filles.
to be keen on doing sth (= want very much to) → tenir à faire qch, avoir très envie de faire qch
She was keen on having a family → Elle tenait à fonder une famille., Elle avait très envie de fonder une famille.
not to be keen on doing sth → ne pas tenir à faire qch
I've seen the play before, so I'm not keen on going again → J'ai déjà vu la pièce et je ne tiens pas à y retourner.
to be not very keen on doing sth → ne pas tenir beaucoup à faire qch, ne pas être chaud pour faire qch
I'm not very keen on going → Je ne tiens pas beaucoup à y aller.
to be keen to do sth (= want very much to) → tenir à faire qch, avoir très envie de faire qch
to be keen for sb to do sth → tenir à ce que qn fasse qch
I am not keen for him to have a bicycle → Je ne tiens pas à ce qu'il ait une bicyclette.
to be keen that ... → tenir à ce que + subj ...
My host was keen that I should try his best wines → Mon hôte tenait à ce que je goûte ses meilleurs vins.
I'm very keen that → Je tiens beaucoup à ce que ...
to be keen on sb → être attiré par qn
He's keen on her → Il est attiré par elle.
Molly was very keen on him → Molly était très attirée par lui.
She's keen and energetic → Elle est passionnée et énergique.
a keen, enthusiastic lad → un jeune gars passionné et enthousiaste
to seem keen
He doesn't seem very keen → Il n'a pas l'air très enthousiaste., Il n'a pas l'air très passionné.
to be keen on sth (= enjoy) → être passionné par qch
I'm keen on maths → Je suis passionné par les maths.
I'm not very keen on maths → Je ne suis pas passionné par les maths.
She's not too keen on jazz → Elle n'aime pas trop le jazz., Elle n'est pas particulièrement passionnée par le jazz
I'm very keen on sports → Le sport me passionne au plus haut point., Je suis très passionné par le sport.
Boys are just as keen on cooking as girls are → Les garçons sont tout aussi passionnés par la cuisine que les filles., Les garçons se passionnent pour la cuisine tout autant que les filles.
to be keen on doing sth (= want very much to) → tenir à faire qch, avoir très envie de faire qch
She was keen on having a family → Elle tenait à fonder une famille., Elle avait très envie de fonder une famille.
not to be keen on doing sth → ne pas tenir à faire qch
I've seen the play before, so I'm not keen on going again → J'ai déjà vu la pièce et je ne tiens pas à y retourner.
to be not very keen on doing sth → ne pas tenir beaucoup à faire qch, ne pas être chaud pour faire qch
I'm not very keen on going → Je ne tiens pas beaucoup à y aller.
to be keen to do sth (= want very much to) → tenir à faire qch, avoir très envie de faire qch
to be keen for sb to do sth → tenir à ce que qn fasse qch
I am not keen for him to have a bicycle → Je ne tiens pas à ce qu'il ait une bicyclette.
to be keen that ... → tenir à ce que + subj ...
My host was keen that I should try his best wines → Mon hôte tenait à ce que je goûte ses meilleurs vins.
I'm very keen that → Je tiens beaucoup à ce que ...
to be keen on sb → être attiré par qn
He's keen on her → Il est attiré par elle.
Molly was very keen on him → Molly était très attirée par lui.
[gardener, photographer, golfer, cook, supporter] → assidu(e)
She's a keen student → C'est une étudiante assidue.
She's a keen student → C'est une étudiante assidue.
[interest, desire, competition] → vif (vive)before n
to take a keen interest in sth → manifester un vif intérêt pour qch
He took a keen interest in politics → Il manifestait un vif intérêt pour la politique.
to take a keen interest in sth → manifester un vif intérêt pour qch
He took a keen interest in politics → Il manifestait un vif intérêt pour la politique.
(= sharp) [intelligence, mind] → pénétrant(e); [sense of smell] → très développé(e); [sense of humour] → très développé(e)
a keen eye for detail → une grande attention aux détails
to have a keen eye for detail (= pay great attention to) → porter une grande attention aux détails
Susan has a keen eye for detail, so each dress is beautifully finished → Susan porte une grande attention aux détails si bien que la finition de chaque robe est splendide.
a keen eye for detail → une grande attention aux détails
to have a keen eye for detail (= pay great attention to) → porter une grande attention aux détails
Susan has a keen eye for detail, so each dress is beautifully finished → Susan porte une grande attention aux détails si bien que la finition de chaque robe est splendide.
[edge] → effilé(e)
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
keen
1adj (+er)
(= acute, intense) appetite → kräftig; interest → groß, stark; pleasure → groß; anticipation → gespannt; feeling → stark, tief; desire, pain → heftig, stark; mind, intelligence, sense of humour, wit → scharf; sight, eye, hearing, ear → gut, scharf; awareness → geschärft; competition → scharf; to keep a keen eye on something → ein wachsames Auge auf etw (acc) → haben; to have a keen nose for something → eine gute or feine Nase für etw haben; they have a keen awareness or appreciation of the dangers → sie sind sich der Gefahren deutlich bewusst; he has a keen sense of history → er hat ein ausgeprägtes Gefühl für Geschichte
(= enthusiastic) → begeistert; football fan, golfer, supporter → leidenschaftlich, begeistert; (= eager, interested) applicant, learner → stark interessiert; (= hardworking) → eifrig; keen to learn → lernbegierig; keen to know → begierig zu wissen; try not to seem too keen → versuchen Sie, Ihr Interesse nicht zu sehr zu zeigen; if he’s keen we can teach him → wenn er wirklich interessiert ist or Interesse hat, können wir es ihm beibringen; he is terribly keen → seine Begeisterung/sein Interesse/sein Eifer kennt kaum Grenzen; to be keen on somebody → von jdm sehr angetan sein; (= sexually attracted) → scharf auf jdn sein (inf); on pop group, actor, author → von jdm begeistert sein; to be keen on something → etw sehr gern mögen; on classical music, Italian cooking also, football → sehr viel für etw übrighaben; to be keen on doing something (= like to do) → etw gern or mit Begeisterung tun; to be keen to do something (= want to do) → sehr darauf erpicht sein or scharf darauf sein (inf), → etw zu tun; to be keen on mountaineering/dancing → begeisterter or leidenschaftlicher Bergsteiger/Tänzer sein, leidenschaftlich gern bergsteigen/tanzen; he is very keen on golf/tennis etc → er ist ein Golf-/Tennisfan m → etc; to become keen on somebody/something → sich für jdn/etw erwärmen; I’m not very keen on him/that idea → ich bin von ihm/dieser Idee nicht gerade begeistert; he’s very keen on getting the job finished → ihm liegt sehr viel daran, dass die Arbeit fertig wird; he’s not keen on her coming → er legt keinen (gesteigerten) Wert darauf, dass sie kommt; he’s very keen that we should go/for us to go → er legt sehr großen Wert darauf or ihm ist sehr daran gelegen, dass wir gehen; they are keen for revenge → sie sind auf Rache aus
(esp Brit: = competitive) prices → günstig
(US inf: = very good) → spitzenmäßig (inf)
keen
2 (Ir)n → Totenklage f
vi → die Totenklage halten
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
keen
[kiːn] adj (-er (comp) (-est (superl)))a. (Brit) (person) → entusiasta
he's a keen gardener → è un appassionato di giardinaggio
to be keen on sth (opera, theatre) → essere appassionato/a di qc (plan, idea) → essere entusiasta di qc
she's keen on the music master → il maestro di musica le piace molto
she's very keen on pop music → le piace molto la musica pop
to be keen to do or on doing sth → avere una gran voglia di fare qc
I'm not keen on going → non mi va di andare
I'm not keen to do it → non ci tengo a farlo
he's a keen gardener → è un appassionato di giardinaggio
to be keen on sth (opera, theatre) → essere appassionato/a di qc (plan, idea) → essere entusiasta di qc
she's keen on the music master → il maestro di musica le piace molto
she's very keen on pop music → le piace molto la musica pop
to be keen to do or on doing sth → avere una gran voglia di fare qc
I'm not keen on going → non mi va di andare
I'm not keen to do it → non ci tengo a farlo
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
keen
(kiːn) adjective1. eager or enthusiastic. He is a keen golfer; I'm keen to succeed.
2. sharp. Her eyesight is as keen as ever.
3. (of wind etc) very cold and biting.
ˈkeenly adverbˈkeenness noun
keen on
very enthusiastic about, interested in or fond of. She's keen on sailing; She's been keen on that boy for years.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
keen
→ مُتَحَمِّسٌ dychtivý ivrig efter begeistert ενθουσιώδης entusiasta, resuelto innokas enthousiaste gorljiv appassionato 熱心な 열심인 enthousiast ivrig zapalony entusiástico жаждать angelägen กระตือรือร้น istekli say mê 渴望的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009