keenness

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms.

keen¹

(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.

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.

keen²

(kēn)

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.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	keenness - a quick and penetrating intelligence; "he argued with great acuteness"; "I admired the keenness of his mind" sharpness, acuity, acuteness intelligence - the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience steel trap - an acute intelligence (an analogy based on the well-known sharpness of steel traps); "he's as sharp as a steel trap"; "a mind like a steel trap"
	2.	keenness - a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something avidity, avidness, eagerness enthusiasm - a feeling of excitement ardor, ardour, elan, zeal - a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he felt a kind of religious zeal"
	3.	keenness - thinness of edge or fineness of point sharpness acuteness - the quality of having a sharp edge or point shape, configuration, conformation, contour, form - any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline); "he could barely make out their shapes"

keenness

noun

1. eagerness, passion, enthusiasm, intensity, zeal, zest, impatience, fervour, diligence, ardour, earnestness, ebullience, avidity, avidness the keenness of the students

2. astuteness, wisdom, insight, sensitivity, cleverness, shrewdness, discernment, sagacity, canniness, sapience the keenness of his imagination

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

keenness

noun

1. A cutting quality:

bite, edge, incisiveness, sharpness, sting.

2. Skill in perceiving, discriminating, or judging:

acumen, astuteness, clear-sightedness, discernment, discrimination, eye, nose, penetration, perceptiveness, percipience, percipiency, perspicacity, sagacity, sageness, shrewdness, wit.

Translations

تَحَمُّس شديد، توقُّد الذِّهْن

energiiver

Schärfe

finesse

csípõsség

ákafi

acume

heveskeskinlik

敏锐锐利

keenness

[ˈkiːnnɪs] N

1. (= sharpness) [of mind, sense of humour, eyesight] → agudeza f; [of blade] → lo afilado; [of wind] → lo cortante

2. (= intensity) → intensidad f

3. (= enthusiasm) → entusiasmo m

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

keenness

[ˈkiːnnɪs] n (= eagerness) → empressement m
What she lacks in ability she makes up for in keenness → Les compétences qui lui manquent, elle les compense par son empressement.
keenness to do sth → empressement à faire qch
She showed a great keenness to participate → Elle montrait un grand empressement à participer.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

keenness

(of blade, mind, wind, sight) → Schärfe f

(= enthusiasm) → Begeisterung f; (of fan, supporter, golfer) → Leidenschaftlichkeit f; (of applicant, learner) → starkes Interesse; (= hardworking nature) → Eifer m; his keenness to go is suspicious → dass er so unbedingt gehen will, ist verdächtig

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

keenness

[ˈkiːnnɪs] n (eagerness) → entusiasmo

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

keen

(kiːn) adjective

1. 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 adverb

ˈkeenness 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.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

He bobbed his tail good-naturedly and friendly, and growled ferociously and friendly; but the keenness of the drunkenness of the mate discerned the difference and aroused in him, vaguely, the intuition of difference, of play-acting, of cheating.

View in context

But he liked to think how Laura would put out her lips and her tiny hands for the bits of sugarcandy; and to give the greater keenness to these pleasures of imagination, he took out the parcel, made a small hole in the paper, and bit off a crystal or two, which had so solacing an effect under the confined prospect and damp odors of the gig-umbrella, that he repeated the process more than once on his way.

View in context

Besides, he gives evidence of great kindness of disposition, much keenness of wit, and as to suitability, M.

View in context

He was as blithe and joyous as a young bird, and was staying the keenness of his morning's appetite by chewing the soft bark of a delicate branch he held in his hand, and he recommended the like to me as an admirable antidote against the gnawings of hunger.

View in context

On his part, D'Artagnan, thanks to the keenness of his sight, had seen all, seized all.

View in context

Nor did his disgust and vexation cease when all hands had recovered from sea-sickness, and become accustomed to the ship, for now broke out an alarming keenness of appetite that threatened havoc to the provisions.

View in context

"Ah--they would!" laughed Archer, amused at her keenness. He looked sideways at her fruit-like cheek and felt rich and secure enough to add: "When I sent your lilies yesterday afternoon I saw some rather gorgeous yellow roses and packed them off to Madame Olenska.

View in context

The unhappiness of Philip's life at school had called up in him the power of self-analysis; and this vice, as subtle as drug-taking, had taken possession of him so that he had now a peculiar keenness in the dissection of his feelings.

View in context

But you are strong, healthy, cheerful, and excited, and are surrounded by other such excitedly animated and healthy men." So thinks, or at any rate feels, anyone who comes in sight of the enemy, and that feeling gives a particular glamour and glad keenness of impression to everything that takes place at such moments.

View in context

What little we learned, was usually in the course of play, and was due to our curiosity and keenness of appreciation.

View in context

His battles with elemental nature had been, in a way, impersonal; his present battles were wholly with the males of his species, and the hardships of the trail, the river, and the frost marred him far less than the bitter keenness of the struggle with his fellows.

View in context

He opened up his heart to Martin, showed with what keenness and with what enormous planning he had made the store.

keenness

keen 1

keen 2

keenness

keenness

keenness

keenness

keenness

keenness

keen

keen¹

keen²