Word.ws English Dictionary

keener

keener is the comparative form of keen.

Meaning of keen

Adjective

keen (comparative keener or more keen, superlative keenest or most keen)

  1. (Commonwealth) 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.
    Synonyms:
    ardent, eager, prompt, hot on
  2. Fierce, intense, vehement.
    • This boy has a keen appetite.
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Acrimonious, bitter, piercing.
    • keen satire or sarcasm
    Synonyms:
    biting, cutting, piercing
  6. (usually, wind) Cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp.
    • a keen wind

See all 15 meanings of keen

Noun (1)

keener (plural keeners)

  1. (historical) One who keens at a funeral.

Noun (2)

keener (plural keeners)

  1. (Canada, informal) Someone who is excessively keen or eager, possibly making others look bad; a brown-noser.

Proper noun capitalized: Keener

Keener (plural Keeners)

  1. A surname.

Forms of keener

Noun
pluralkeeners
Proper noun
pluralKeeners

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

1 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about keener

What does keener mean?
Keener means one who keens at a funeral.
What is keener the comparative form of?
Keener is the comparative form of keen.
What part of speech is keener?
Keener can be a noun or a proper noun.
What is the plural of keener?
The plural of keener is keeners.

Words near keener in the dictionary

  1. Keenbrook
  2. keene
  3. Keene's cement
  4. keened
  5. Keenen
  6. keener
  7. keeners
  8. keenest
  9. keeneth
  10. Keeney
  11. Keeneys

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.