Keen (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Very good; "he did a bully job"; "a neat sports car"; "had a great time at the party"; "you look simply smashing"; "we had a grand old time".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Usages
Examples
- The fireworks display was keen and lit up the entire sky.
- I had a keen time at the festival and loved the food and music.
- Her keen sense of style made her a fashion icon among her friends.
- The band played a keen set and got the whole crowd dancing.
- The new restaurant in town serves a keen cup of coffee.
Synonyms
Meaning 2
Intense or sharp; "suffered exquisite pain"; "felt exquisite pleasure".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The patient endured a keen ache in her knee after the surgery.
- The skier felt a keen rush of adrenaline as she sped down the steep slope.
- Keen observers noticed the slightest changes in the artist's behavior.
- The keen smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the morning air.
- Food critics praised the restaurant's keen attention to culinary detail.
Synonyms
Meaning 3
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".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- She was a keen observer of human behavior and was able to pick up on subtle cues that others might miss.
- The detective was known for his keen mind and was able to piece together seemingly unrelated clues to solve the case.
- The art critic's keen eye for detail allowed her to identify the subtle nuances in the painter's style that set her apart from her contemporaries.
- The professor's keen analytical skills made her a valuable asset to the research team, and her insights often shed new light on complex problems.
- The journalist's keen instincts led her to investigate the tip, which ultimately uncovered a major scandal that rocked the city.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 4
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".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The patient winced in agony from the keen pain that shot through her broken arm.
- She felt a keen sting as the needle pierced her skin.
- The keen winds howled through the desolate landscape, cutting through even the warmest clothing.
- The doctor massaged the area gently, trying to soothe the keen aching in the patient's muscles.
- After the accident, she experienced keen stabs of pain every time she tried to move her injured leg.
Synonyms
Meaning 5
Having a sharp cutting edge or point; "a keen blade".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- A carpenter's keen chisel bit effortlessly into the hardwood floor.
- With a few swift strokes of his keen axe, the woodsman felled the tall oak tree.
- The keen edge of the razor sliced smoothly through the stubble on his chin.
- In the kitchen, a keen boning knife made short work of preparing the chicken.
- After a few minutes of whetting, the keen blade of the pocket knife cut easily through the twine.