keener
keener is the comparative form of keen.
Meaning of keen
Adjective
keen (comparative keener or more keen, superlative keenest or most keen)
- Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.
- I’m keen on computers.
- Fierce, intense, vehement.
- This boy has a keen appetite.
- Having a fine edge or point; sharp.
- The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen
As is the Razors edge, inuisible: […]c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
- Synonyms:
- sharp
- The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen
- Acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp.
- For when we rage, aduiſe is often ſeene
By blunting vs to make our wits more keene.1609, William Shakespeare, “A Louers Complaint”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC
- For when we rage, aduiſe is often ſeene
- Acrimonious, bitter, piercing.
- keen satire or sarcasm
- Cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp.
- a keen wind
Noun (1)
keener (plural keeners)
- One who keens at a funeral.
Noun (2)
keener (plural keeners)
- Someone who is excessively keen or eager, possibly making others look bad; a brown-noser.
Proper noun capitalized: Keener
Keener (plural Keeners)
- A surname.
Forms of keener
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | keeners |
| Proper noun | |
| plural | Keeners |
Origin of keener
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
From keen (“lament”, verb) + -er (“one who does”).
From keen (“enthusiastic”) + -er (“one who is”).
Words that rhyme with keener
- thirteener
- cleaner
- screener
- wiener
- beaner
- greener
- leaner
- teener
- demeanor
- exhibitioner
- expeditioner
- meaner
1 more rhymesFewer rhymes
Questions about keener
Words near keener in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: keener (page history and authors); Keener (page history and authors); keen (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-keener.wav.
Cite this entry: “keener.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/keener. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
