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Definition of keen

(Entry 1 of 3)

Definition of keen (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

transitive verb

Definition of keen (Entry 3 of 3)

maunder [ chiefly British ]
whinge [ British ]
lamentation

sharp , keen , acute mean having or showing alert competence and clear understanding.

sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, or sometimes questionable trickiness.

keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm, and a penetrating mind.

acute implies a power to penetrate and may suggest subtlety and sharpness of discrimination.

eager , avid , keen , anxious , athirst mean moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest.

eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

Examples of keen in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'keen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Adjective and Noun

Middle English kene brave, sharp, from Old English cēne brave; akin to Old High German kuoni brave

Irish caoinim I lament, weep

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

1845, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

1830, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing keen

(as) keen as mustard
good / keen / sharp eye
keen / sharp eye
mad keen on
peachy keen

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Cite this entry.

“Keen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keen. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of keen.

Kids Definition of keen (Entry 2 of 3)

Kids Definition of keen (Entry 3 of 3)

More from Merriam-Webster on keen

Nglish: Translation of keen for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of keen for Arabic Speakers

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Other forms: keenest; keener; keening; keened; keens

If you have a keen interest in something, you are really, really into it. Keen is an adjective that describes something that is intense, sharp, or focused.

The word keen comes from the Old English word cene that translates to "bold and brave" and while the spelling is now really different, the sounds are similar. Variations of keen as being "bold" and "strong" show up in other languages, but only English has the meaning of "sharp" — relating to "an edge or blade." Keen has a lot of close — and brutal — synonyms, such as caustic , cutting , piercing , and penetrating . It can also be used as a verb to mean "express grief or pain out loud."

adjective intense or sharp synonyms: exquisite , searing intense possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
adjective having a sharp cutting edge or point “a keen blade” synonyms: sharp having or made by a thin edge or sharp point; suitable for cutting or piercing
adjective painful as if caused by a sharp instrument “ keen winds” synonyms: cutting , knifelike , lancinate , lancinating , piercing , stabbing sharp keenly and painfully felt; as if caused by a sharp edge or point
adjective having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions synonyms: acute , discriminating , incisive , knifelike , penetrating , penetrative , piercing , sharp perceptive having the ability to perceive or understand; keen in discernment
adjective very good synonyms: bang-up , bully , corking , cracking , dandy , great , groovy , neat , nifty , not bad , peachy , slap-up , smashing , swell good having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
adjective having or showing great excitement and interest synonyms: enthused , enthusiastic ardent , warm characterized by strong enthusiasm avid , zealous marked by active interest and enthusiasm crazy , dotty , gaga , wild intensely enthusiastic about or preoccupied with evangelical , evangelistic marked by ardent or zealous enthusiasm for a cause glowing highly enthusiastic gung ho very enthusiastic and dedicated overenthusiastic unduly enthusiastic passionate having or expressing strong emotions spirited displaying animation, vigor, or liveliness
adjective having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy synonyms: agog , eager anxious , dying eagerly desirous hot having or showing great eagerness or enthusiasm impatient , raring (usually followed by 'to') full of eagerness overeager excessively eager enthused , enthusiastic having or showing great excitement and interest
noun a funeral lament sung with loud wailing see more see less type of: coronach , dirge , lament , requiem , threnody a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
verb express grief verbally synonyms: lament see more see less type of: express emotion , express feelings give verbal or other expression to one's feelings

Vocabulary lists containing keen

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Grammar & vocab

How to use “keen”, “keen on” and “keen to”

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Keen on , keen , and keen to are all used to express a strong desire or interest in something. However, they are slightly different in terms of their usage and nuance.

Be keen on something

Be keen on is used to express a strong interest in someone or something, or to say we like something (such as an activity or type of food):

I’m really keen on learning Spanish. = I’m very interested in learning Spanish and I also enjoy it.

Likewise, if you’re not keen on something, you’re saying it’s something you don’t like or enjoy:

I’m not keen on football. I prefer rugby.
I’m not keen on milk in coffee.

Be keen on doing

Note that if we follow keen on with a verb, we need to use the – ing form of the verb:

I like playing football but I’m not keen on watching it on TV.

A keen swimmer

We can also say someone is a keen [+ noun] to say that they have a strong interest in and get enjoyment from a particular activity or thing:

Harry’s a keen swimmer. = He really enjoys going swimming and does it regularly.
I’m a keen reader – I read at least two books a month.

When we’re keen to do something, we’re eager and willing. A person who is keen to help doesn’t need to be persuaded – they’ll help you without you pushing them.

When we asked our neighbours for a few gardening tips they were very keen to show us all their flowers and tell us the names of each one.

Someone with energy and ambition might be keen to take on new challenges . A young person with free time and a sense of adventure will be keen to travel . You might be keen to build a business if you are the entrepreneurial type.

We can use keen on its own to say someone showed (or didn’t show) enthusiasm:

We invited him to come with us on holiday, but he wasn’t very keen.

Summary and examples

keen on + noun / a person

keen on + verb +-

a keen + noun

keen to + verb infinitive

be keen

She’s keen on sports and spends most of her free time playing soccer.
I drink wine, but I’m not too keen on beer.
Emma is nice, but I’m not keen on her husband.
He is keen on playing the guitar and has been taking lessons for several months.
My dad’s a keen walker. He spends a lot of time out in the hills and forests.
I was a keen stamp collector when I was a kid. I used to ask my relatives to save stamps from envelopes for me.
I’m keen to take on new challenges and learn new skills.
She is keen to travel and explore different cultures.
He was keen to help when we asked him.
They invited him to the party but he wasn’t very keen. He said he was busy.

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Dictionary definition of keen

Interest, enthusiasm, or eagerness towards a particular subject, activity, or goal. "She possessed a keen intellect, grasping complex concepts with ease."

Detailed meaning of keen

When someone is keen , they display a deep passion, genuine curiosity, or sharp focus in pursuing their interests or objectives. It implies an active and enthusiastic involvement, often accompanied by a desire for knowledge, growth, or achievement. A keen individual pays close attention to details, actively seeks opportunities for learning or improvement, and exhibits a proactive attitude. The term " keen " suggests a heightened level of awareness, perceptiveness, or acuity in the pursuit of one's passions or goals. It can also imply a sense of responsiveness, responsiveness, or quickness in understanding or reacting to situations. Being keen is often regarded as a positive attribute, as it demonstrates a genuine interest and drive towards personal or professional pursuits.

Example sentences containing keen

1. She was a keen observer, noticing even the smallest details in her surroundings. 2. The young artist showed a keen interest in learning different painting techniques. 3. He had a keen sense of adventure and was always seeking new experiences. 4. The team captain had a keen eye for talent, selecting the best players for the lineup. 5. The student had a keen understanding of mathematics and excelled in the subject. 6. The detective's keen instincts led to the swift resolution of the case.

History and etymology of keen

The word ' keen ,' when used to describe one's interest, enthusiasm, or eagerness towards a particular subject, activity, or goal, has a fascinating etymology. It originated from the Old English word 'cēne,' which meant 'brave,' 'bold,' or 'sharp.' Over time, this term evolved and took on additional meanings, including 'eager' and 'enthusiastic.' The evolution of ' keen ' to signify a strong and enthusiastic interest is a testament to how language adapts and refines itself through centuries of usage, reflecting the evolving nuances of human expression and emotion.

Quiz: Find the meaning of the adjective keen :

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Further usage examples of keen

1. He had a keen sense of humor, always finding the perfect moment for a witty remark. 2. The journalist had a keen interest in social issues, reporting on topics that mattered to the community. 3. The chef had a keen palate, distinguishing subtle flavors and creating exquisite dishes. 4. The entrepreneur had a keen business sense, identifying profitable opportunities in the market. 5. She had a keen intuition, often sensing things before they happened. 6. Her keen interest in science led to groundbreaking discoveries. 7. The students showed a keen desire to learn new skills. 8. His keen sense of adventure took him to far-off places. 9. She had a keen eye for detail, spotting the tiniest flaws. 10. The team's keen anticipation fueled their motivation. 11. His keen intellect made him excel in challenging tasks. 12. The audience had a keen appreciation for fine art. 13. She had a keen understanding of complex mathematical concepts. 14. The hikers were keen to reach the summit before sunset. 15. Their keen dedication to the project paid off handsomely. 16. He had a keen sense of humor that brightened everyone's day. 17. The detective's keen instincts solved the puzzling case. 18. The chef's keen palate created exquisite culinary delights. 19. The scientist's keen observations led to groundbreaking theories. 20. Her keen curiosity about the world led to extensive travels. 21. The musician had a keen ear for harmonious melodies. 22. His keen resolve helped him overcome life's challenges. 23. The volunteers showed a keen interest in helping the community. 24. The journalist's keen reporting shed light on important issues. 25. Their keen teamwork led to a successful product launch.

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Suffix -en, Seduction and Allure, Middle School 16, Excitement and Enthusiasm

ardent,avid,dedicated,eager,enthusiastic,excited,fervent,passionate,perceptive,sharp,zealous

Synonyms for keen

Quiz categories containing keen.

'keen' is one of the flashcards in the 'Suffix -en' category

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'keen' is one of the flashcards in the 'Seduction and Allure' category

eager, indifferent, apathetic, uninterested

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keen adjective & adverb

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Earlier version

keen, a. (adv.) in OED Second Edition (1989)

In other dictionaries

cēne in Dictionary of Old English
kẹ̄ne, adj. in Middle English Dictionary

What does the word keen mean?

There are 19 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word keen , six of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

keen has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the word keen ?

How is the word keen pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the word keen come from.

Earliest known use

Old English

The earliest known use of the word keen is in the Old English period (pre-1150).

keen is a word inherited from Germanic.

Nearby entries

keel-plate, n. 1874–
keel-raking, n. 1706–
keel-rope, n. 1352–1627
keelson, n. ?1611–
keel-toll, n. ?1499
keel-vat, n. 1552–
keely, adj. 1712–
keema, n. 1955–
Keemun, n. 1892–
keen, n. 1830–
keen, adj. & adv. Old English–
keen, v.¹ 1599–1727
keen, v.² 1786–
keen-cold, adj. 1605
Keene, n. 1869–
keener, n.¹ 1786–
keener, n.² 1839–
keenly, adj. c1275–1570
keenly, adv. Old English–
keenness, n. 1530–
keenship, n. a1225–75

Meaning & use

Se wæs uðwita ælces þinges cene and cræftig, þæm wæs Caton nama.

Beo nu ken & cnawes..hu heh & hu hali is þes cristenes godd.

Þa ælde quene a wifmon wis and kene .

Þer comen mony Clerkes out of Caldye þat kennest wer knauen.

keen Old English–1400 Wise, learned, clever. Obsolete . (Cf. A.7b.)
nimble Old English–1440 Quick at grasping, comprehending, or learning; (hence) clever, wise. Cf. sense A.5. Obsolete .
witty Old English– Having (good) intellectual ability; intelligent, clever, ingenious; skilful, expert, capable. Obsolete exc. dialect .
smeigh c1200 Clever, cunning.
understanding c1200– Of persons (or animals): Possessed of understanding; having knowledge and judgement; intelligent.
apert a1330–1483 Distinguished, clever, ready, expert. Obsolete .
skillwise a1340–1400 Intelligent, discerning, clever.
witted 1377– Having wit or wits (of a specified quality or amount): with qualifying adverb, as well-witted , adj. , etc. ( obsolete ), or in parasynthetic…
intelligible a1382–1777 Capable of understanding; intelligent. Obsolete .
well-feeling a1382 Possessing or displaying prudence or intelligence. Also as n. : (with the ) prudent, intelligent people as a class.
knowing a1398– That is in possession of knowledge; knowledgeable; well-informed, learned, practised, expert. Formerly also: †having intelligence or understanding…
fine c1400–1766 Intellectually subtle; clever, ingenious. Often in negative sense: cunning, crafty. Obsolete .
kind-witted c1400 Possessing natural reason or intelligence.
large ?a1425– figurative . Of the heart (originally as the seat of the intellect, later as the seat of love, feeling, courage, etc.): of great capacity or…
well-knowing c1425– Knowledgeable, well-informed.
of understanding 1428– of understanding , intelligent, capable of judging with knowledge. Similarly of some, of no, understanding .
capax 1432–1556 Of capacity; able and ready to take or receive; capable.
sententious c1440–1646 Full of meaning; also, of persons, full of intelligence or wisdom. Obsolete .
well-witted c1450– Having a quick or ready wit; intelligent, clever.
intellectual ?a1475– Characterized by or possessing understanding or intellectual capacity; intelligent. Now only as passing into sense A.3b.
clean 1485– Sharp (of wit), clever, smart, skilful, adroit, dexterous; neat and finished in action. (So Old High German chleini ‘sagax, versutus, argutus’.)
industrious c1487–1731 Characterized by or showing intelligent or skilful work; skilful, clever, ingenious, artful. Obsolete .
intellective 1509– Characterized by a high degree of understanding; intelligent: = intellectual , adj. A.3b. rare .
cleanly c1540–1712 Of actions: Neatly executed, adroit, dexterous, clever, deft, artful; = clean , adj. III.11. Obsolete .
ingenious ?a1560–1798 Intelligent, discerning, sensible. Obsolete .
fine-headed 1574– †a. Having a fine mind, clever; subtle or ingenious in argument; given to making fine distinctions ( obsolete ); b. having an attractive, well-formed…
conceited 1579–94 Intelligent, ingenious, clever; characterized by ingenuity. Obsolete .
conceitful 1594– Clever, witty; imaginative; fanciful; (sometimes) spec. characterized by or abounding in artistic conceits ( conceit , n. III.10b). Now rare .
intelligenced 1596– Having understanding, intelligent. Also: provided with information; informed. Frequently in parasynthetic compounds, as high-intelligenced , well-in …
dexter 1597–1659 = dexterous , adj. Obsolete .
ingenuous 1598– In 17th cent. frequently misused for ingenious : see ingenious , adj. I.1–I.3. Obsolete .
intelligent 1598– Having the faculty of understanding; possessing intelligence or intellect.
senseful 1598–1868 Intelligent; possessing intellect or understanding. Obsolete .
parted 1600–1754 Having abilities or talents of a specified kind; gifted, accomplished. Usually with modifying adverb. Cf. part , n.¹ II.15. Obsolete .
thinking 1605– Given to thinking; habitually exercising one's mind; having special or well-trained powers of thought; thoughtful, reflective, intellectual. Cf. th …
dexterical 1607–44 Dexterous, adroit, skilful.
solert 1612–80 Clever, wise; characterized by cleverness.
apprehensive a1616– Of intelligent beings: In the habit or capable of grasping with the mind, perceptive; hence , quick to learn, intelligent, ‘sharp.’ Const. of .
dexterous 1622– Having mental adroitness or skill; skilful or expert in contrivance or management; clever.
solertic 1623
intelligential 1646– Characterized by or possessing intelligence; = intellectual , adj. A.3, intelligent , adj. B.3. Now rare .
callent 1656–82 Crafty, cunning; knowledgeable. Cf. callid , adj.²
cunning 1671– Possessing keen intelligence, wit, or insight; knowing, clever.
thoughtful 1674 Capable of thought; conscious, intelligent. Obsolete . rare .
perceptive 1696– Having or showing insight; discerning, intelligent.
clever 1716– Of persons: Possessing skill or talent; able to use hand or brain readily and effectively; dexterous, skilful; adroit. (The current sense.)
uptaking 1756– Quick in understanding; intelligent.
spiritual 1807–72 Clever, smart, ingenious; displaying spirit or wit. Cf. spirituel , adj. Obsolete .
bright 1815– Of an idea, action, etc. Characterized by quick thinking or intelligence. Often used condescendingly or depreciatively, esp. in negative contexts; cf. quot. 1970.
gnostic 1819– In humorous or slang use: Clever, knowing.
knowledgeable 1825– Originally Irish English . Possessing or showing knowledge; well-informed, well-read; sagacious, wise, educated.
full-witted 1841– In full possession of one's wits (frequently in contrast to half-witted ).
brainy 1845– Clever, intelligent, acute; having or showing plenty of brains.
opulent 1851– figurative . Rich in respect of a quality; having an abundance of mental powers or resources.
opening 1872– That opens, in various senses of open , v.
super-cerebral 1916– Very intelligent; highly intellectual.
brainiac 1976– Very intelligent or clever; intellectual.
glew Old English–1290 Wise, prudent, clever. Only Old English and early Middle English.
snoter Old English–1175 Wise, learned, skilful. Also absol.
wise Old English–1548 Having practical understanding and ability; skilful, clever; skilled, expert (const. of ). Obsolete .
wisely Old English–1556 = wise , adj. 1.
witter Old English–1400 Knowing, cunning, wise. Also, cognizant, aware (cf. wise , adj. 3b).
redewise c1225 Wise in counsel.
redeful c1275–1390 Wise, prudent; providing good counsel.
well-done c1275 Well trained or educated; capable, excellent. Obsolete .
witful c1275–1613 Wise, sagacious. Obsolete .
sage 1297– Of a person: Wise, discreet, judicious. In Middle English often the sage (following a proper name). In modern use in narrowed applications…
redy a1325–1500 Wise, prudent.
hearty a1382 Having understanding; wise, knowledgeable, sagacious. Cf. heart , n. A.II.12. Obsolete . rare .
prudent a1382–1693 Wise, discerning, knowledgeable. Obsolete .
hearted a1425 Sagacious, wise, prudent; = hearty , adj. A.2. Obsolete .
subtile a1450– Of a person, the mind, or intellectual activity: characterized by wisdom or perceptiveness; discriminating, discerning; shrewd; = subtle , adj. A.I.1.
sapient 1471– Wise. (A learned synonym, in serious use now only poetic .)
Palladian 1562– Of, relating to, or resembling Pallas (Athene), the goddess of wisdom in classical mythology. Also in extended use: relating to wisdom…
wittiful 1590 Full of ‘wit’, wise, sensible.
judicious 1591– Of a person, or a person's character, faculties, etc.: having or exercising sound judgement; (in later use) esp. (a) wise in intellectual…
cordate 1651–1734 Wise, prudent, sagacious. Obsolete .
sophical 1739
sophic a1773– Conveying, or full of, wisdom; learned.
sapientious 1852– Characterized by sapience.
unbesotted 1875– ( un- , prefix¹ affix 2.)
sapiential 1882– Epithet of the ‘wisdom’ books of the Bible (Proverbs, Ecclesiates, Canticles, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus); also applied occasionally to kindred writings…
wise Old English– Having knowledge, well-informed; instructed, learned ( in , earlier of , upon ). Obsolete except as in 3b. (See also wise man , n. 2a, wise woman , n. 1.)
ylered Old English–1440 = lered , adj. , learned.
lered c1154– = learned , adj. & n. Also absol. , esp. in lered and lewd .
witty a1225–1485 Having knowledge, knowing, learned. Obsolete .
cunning c1325–1667 Possessing knowledge or learning, learned; versed in († of ) a subject. Obsolete .
taught a1382– Of a person: Instructed, trained; †learned ( obsolete ). Now usually absol. , ‘the taught’, or in combination with adverbs, as ill-taught , well-taught …
clergial c1386–1420 Clerkly, scholarly, learned, subtle.
wittily c1400– Irregularly as adjective = witty , adj. 4.
philosophical a1425– Skilled in philosophy; devoted to the pursuit of knowledge (formerly including the physical and natural sciences); learned. Now rare except in the…
erudite ?a1475– Of persons and their faculties: †(a) trained, well-instructed ( obsolete or archaic ); (b) learned, scholarly (now somewhat rare except in sarcastic…
clergyable 1488– Used as = clergial , adj. , learned, scholarly.
informed a1500– Of a person, the mind, etc.: instructed; educated about or acquainted with a fact, subject, etc.; knowledgeable.
studied a1513– Of a person: learned, deeply read; skilled, practised, versed. Cf. well-studied , adj. 1. Now somewhat rare .
estudied 1550 Learned.
learned 1556 Of a person: In early use, that has been taught; instructed, educated. In later use with narrowed sense: Having profound knowledge gained by…
well-read ?1576– Well-informed through reading; having read widely and attentively; learned, erudite.
scholarly 1583– Relating to, or characterizing, a scholar or scholars; befitting, or natural to, a scholar; involving or concerned with research, education, and…
scholarlike 1588– Resembling or befitting a scholar or highly educated person; scholarly. Now rare .
well-digested 1602 Of a person: (perhaps) mature; grave; wise. Obsolete . rare .
literated 1611–47 Learned. Also with in (a specified subject).
artificial 1618– Displaying education or training; scholarly. Now rare .
scienced 1636– Knowledgeable, learned; skilled or trained in a specified profession or pursuit; (in later use also) adopting a scientific approach. Now rare .
clerk-like 1638– Like a ‘clerk’ or scholar; clerkly, scholarly.
scollardicall 1654 A supposed illiterate epithet for a man of learning.
philosophic 1665– Of persons, their faculties, etc.: knowledgeable about, skilled in, or devoted to philosophy or learning (formerly including natural philosophy)…
virtuoso a1667– Relating to or characteristic of taste for or interest in the fine arts, esp. as pursued in the manner of a dabbler or dilettante; designating a…
virtuous a1680–1795 Knowledgeable about or interested in natural philosophy; scholarly, learned. Cf. virtuoso , n. A.1. Obsolete .
doct 1694–1927 Learned, erudite.
blue-stockinged 1791– Chiefly derogatory . Esp. of a woman: that is a bluestocking ( bluestocking , n. B.1); learned, scholarly, literary, intellectual. Also: belonging…
bluestocking 1793– Hence, of a woman: having or affecting literary tastes in a manner originally associated with the women of the bluestocking circle; that is a…
scholared 1830– That has been educated or instructed; erudite, learned; trained.
eruditical 1832– Characterized by, or laying claim to, erudition.

Betra bið se geðyldega wer ðonne se stronga & se kena.

Nu mæg cunnian hwa cene sy.

Godess bode word..to kiþenn forþ. Biforenn kafe. & kene .

He nom his kene men þa to compe weren gode.

Whannes beo ȝe, faire gumes,..Of bodie swiþe kene .

Cenobia..So worthy was in Armes and so keene That no wight passed hire in hardynesse.

The knyȝte that was curtase cruail and kene .

Scho bad hir archearis kene Go me arrest.

Love maks a couard kene .

bold Old English– Of persons: Stout-hearted, courageous, daring, fearless; the opposite of ‘timid’ or ‘fearful’. Often, with admiration emphasized = brave , adj. A.1a.
dear Old English Brave, bold, strenuous, hardy. Obsolete .
keen Old English–1600 Brave, bold, valiant, daring. Obsolete .
hardy c1225– Of a person, a person's disposition, etc.: courageous, daring; bold, resolute. Formerly also with † in , † of . Now rare .
yepe c1275–1600 Active, nimble, brisk, alert; bold, daring.
crouse a1400–1883 Bold, audacious, daring, hardy, forward, full of defiant confidence, ‘cocky’. Obsolete . In later use passing insensibly into 3, as when the crowing…
jeopardous a1513–93 Given to taking risks; venturesome, daring.
audacious 1550– Daring, bold, confident, intrepid.
facing 1564–1677 Bold, audacious. Cf. face , v. I.1a. Obsolete .
venturous 1565– Of things.
daring 1582– Of persons or their attributes: Bold, adventurous; hardy, audacious.
daring-hardy 1597 In quasi-adverbial combination with another adjective, as daring-hardy . Obsolete .
audaculous 1603 A little bold or daring.
dareful 1614–16 Full of daring or defiance.
adventuresome 1628– Adventurous, daring; given to taking risks.
outdacious 1742– = audacious , adj. Also as adv.
risky 1826– Bold, daring; adventurous. rare .
plucky 1835– Characterized by pluck; showing determination in the face of difficulties; bold, courageous, spirited.
plucked 1846– Having pluck or courage; esp. in (good, etc.) plucked one (also 'un) . Conversely †bad-plucked one .
racy 1901– Daring, bold; suggestive, slightly indecent, risqué.
have-a-go 1953– Displaying or characterized by readiness to attempt something dangerous or difficult; plucky, ‘gung-ho’, intrepid. Esp. in have-a-go hero .
philobatic 1955– Of or characteristic of (the personality type of) a philobat.
Boy's Own 1967– Resembling or evocative of a children's adventure story; characterized by daring and heroism; exciting.
warlike 1488– Of a person, nation, etc.: Naturally disposed to warfare or fighting; skilled in war, martial; courageous in war, valiant; fond of war, bellicose.

David wæs..cyninga cynost, Criste liofost.

Aȝein se kene keisere & al his kineriche.

‘King,’ he sede, ‘so kene Grante me a bene’.

‘ Kene kyng,’ quoth þe quene, ‘kayser of vrþe’.

Harde by this castell of this King so kene .

To cache a castell þat was kene holdyn.

crafty Old English–1300 Strong, powerful, mighty. Obsolete .
keen Old English–1540 As an alliterative epithet of kings or other rulers; hence, Mighty, powerful, strong. Obsolete .
mainstrong Old English–1275 Strong in power.
might Old English–1525 = mighty , adj.
mighty Old English– Possessing might or power; powerful, potent, strong. Frequently rhetorical , connoting a pre-eminent… Of God: possessing transcendent power. Of a…
rich Old English–1627 Scottish in later use. Of a person: powerful, mighty; noble, great. Obsolete .
strong Old English– Having great controlling power over people and things, by reason of the possession of authority… In general contexts.
wield Old English–1540 Strong, powerful; mighty, great.
mightful late Old English–1903 Mighty, powerful; endowed with divine or kingly power; efficacious.
mainful c1225–1450 Powerful, mighty.
reigh c1225–75 Powerful, mighty.
stark c1275–1915 Strong, stout, powerful. Strong in authority, dominion, rule, or arms; powerful, mighty. Obsolete .
bold c1300– Strong, mighty, big. ( obsolete ) Of grain, etc.: Well-filled, plump. Of fire or wind: Strong, fierce ( Scottish )
mightand c1350–1400 = mighty , adj.
strengthy a1382– Of God, a person, the spirit, etc.: capable of effective action or resistance; mighty, powerful; mentally strong. Now rare ( literary ).
fort a1400–1611 Strong, powerful.
mightiful a1400–1928 = mightful , adj.
big c1400–1540 Of a city or town: great, mighty; powerful. Obsolete .
powerful c1450– Of a person or group of people: having power over others; holding control or influence over people and events, socially or politically influential…
puissant ?c1450– Possessed of or wielding power; having great authority or influence; mighty, potent, powerful. Now archaic or literary .
manant a1500 Wealthy.
mighteous a1500– That is full of might or power.
potent a1500– Of a person or thing: powerful; having great authority or influence; mighty. Now chiefly in literary usage.
potential ?c1500– Possessing potency or power; potent, powerful, mighty, strong; commanding. Now rare .
forcible 1555–1803 Possessing force. Of persons, material things, natural agencies, etc.: Strong, powerful.
potentate 1556–1650 Powerful, ruling. Obsolete .
swingeing 1567 (After swinge , n.¹ 1) Powerful, authoritative. Obsolete .
powerable 1580–1632 Powerful. Obsolete .
strong-handed 1598– Having powerful hands. Usually figurative : forceful, imperious; able or willing to use force or to act firmly and decisively.
strengthful 1604 Full of or characterized by strength. Also as n. (with the and plural agreement): †those who are full of strength ( obsolete ).
hogen mogen 1648– Usually ironic or humorous . Powerful, mighty, grand. Now rare .
powerlike 1657– Powerful.
pollent 1660– Powerful, strong. Cf. pollency , n.
hogan a1672–1767 Frequently ironic or humorous . Powerful, mighty. Cf. hogen mogen , adj. B.1. Obsolete .
swayful 1767– Able to exercise sway, powerful.
reverend 1826– U.S. colloquial and regional . Strong, powerful; (also) full strength, undiluted, ‘neat’. Cf. reverent , adj. 5.
oomphy 1955– Strong, powerful; (esp. of a woman) sexy, glamorous.
kick-ass 1977– U.S. slang (see kick , v.¹ 4a), rough, aggressive, powerful (also elliptical as n. ).

Hæfdon him to segne..gyldene leon, drihtfolca mæst, deora cenost .

Se þe hafað hundes heortan mid him, ne beoð ongean hine hundas cene .

Wild bestes..Als lyons, libardes and wolwes kene .

If his lauerd kneu him kene o horn..Þis ox þan sal be taght to slan.

Whi seysthow thanne y am [to] the so kene Þat hast thy self owt of my gouernaunce.

Nero, þat tyran kene .

The crewall serpent..The auld kene tegir, with his teith on char.

I'le make ye..worry one another like keen bandoggs.

keen Old English–1640 Fierce, savage (chiefly of beasts); cruel; harsh ( to a person). Obsolete .
wild Old English– Of an animal: living in a state of nature; not tame, not domesticated: opposed to tame , adj. 1.
wroth Old English–1526 Of animals: Of a violent or fierce nature; irritated, enraged. Obsolete .
ramage c1300–1696 Of an animal: wild, untamed, unruly, violent. Obsolete .
fell ?c1335– Of a person or animal, their actions, mind, or attributes: fierce, savage; cruel, ruthless; dreadful, terrible. Also in cruel and fell , fierce an …
furious c1374– Of a person, an animal, etc.: Full of fury or fierce passion; mad with anger, zeal, or the like; raging, frantic. Also of actions, attributes…
fierce 1377– Of formidably violent and intractable temper, like a wild beast; vehement and merciless in anger or hostility. Of animals.
ramageous a1398–1582 = ramage , adj.
eager c1405–1582 Of an animal: fierce, savage. Also: (of a wind) violent. Obsolete .
savage 1447– Of an animal, its behaviour, etc.: ferocious, fierce, vicious. Cf. sense A.I.1.
naughty c1460–1740 Of a person. Morally bad, wicked. Occasionally also of a domestic animal: vicious, uncontrollable. Cf. naught , pron. A.2a and noughty , adj. 2. Obs …
criminal 1477–81 Of beasts: savage, fierce, malignant. Obsolete .
ill 1480– Of an animal: Of evil disposition; fierce, savage, vicious. Now dialect .
shrewd 1509–1630 Of animals: Of evil disposition, bad-tempered; vicious, fierce; = cursed , adj. 4b. Obsolete .
mankind 1519–1672 Infuriated, furious, fierce, mad. Cf. man-keen , adj. A.1.
roid c1540–90 Of an animal: lacking the capacity for reason, irrational. Also: wild, untamed. Obsolete .
mad 1565 Of an animal: abnormally aggressive; spec. (esp. of a dog) suffering from rabies, rabid.
horn-mad 1579– Apparently originally of horned beasts: Enraged so as to be ready to horn anyone. Hence of persons: Stark mad; mad with rage; furious. Cf. earlier hor …
fierceful 1607 Full of fierceness; ferocious, savage.
man-keen 1607 Of an animal or (rarely) a person: inclined to attack people; fierce, savage.
indomite 1617 Untamed, savage.
fellish 1638 Fierce, savage. Cf. fell , adj.¹ A.4.
ferocious 1646– Of animals or persons, their dispositions or actions: Fierce, savage; savagely cruel or destructive.
ferous a1652 Wild, savage.
ferine a1676– Wild, untamed.
ambitious 1791– U.S. regional (chiefly southern and Midland ). Chiefly of animals: spirited, lively; unruly, bad-tempered, vicious. Now rare .
kwaai 1827– Bad-tempered, angry; aggressive, fierce. Also in extended use.
skelm 1827– Rascally, villainous; sly; untrustworthy; of an animal: vicious, bad-tempered. Chiefly and now only South African .
grim Old English– Of personal actions, character, feelings, or utterances: (a) fierce, furious, cruel ( obsolete or archaic ); (b) (in modern use) stern, unrelenting…
grimly Old English– Grim-looking; grim in appearance or nature.
reigh Old English Fierce, savage, cruel.
wroth Old English–1300 Of a fierce, savage, or violent disposition or character; stern, truculent. Obsolete .
grill c1175–1529 Of persons: Fierce, harsh, cruel.
wither c1175– Hostile, adverse; fierce.
grimful a1240–1715 Full of grimness; fierce, terrible.
sturdy 1297–1589 Recklessly violent, furious, ruthless, cruel.
wild 1297– Fierce, savage, ferocious; furious, violent, destructive, cruel.(In later use passing into other senses: cf. A.I.5, A.II.9, A.II.11 See also wild …
fierce a1300– Of formidably violent and intractable temper, like a wild beast; vehement and merciless in anger or… Of persons, their dispositions or attributes.
man-keen c1300– Of an animal or (rarely) a person: inclined to attack people; fierce, savage.
stout c1300–1600 Fierce, furious. Obsolete .
cruel c1330–1600 Of men, wild beasts, etc.: Fierce, savage.
wicked 1375– Bad, in various senses (not always clearly distinguishable). Frequent in Middle English use; later… In reference to character or action: cruel…
felonous c1386–1596 Fierce, cruel, violent. Also, bold, sturdy.
felon a1400– Of persons and animals, their actions, feelings, etc.: Cruel, fierce, terrible; wicked, base. Now poetic .
cursed c1400–1727 (Usually spelt curst .) Of people or animals: fierce, savage, vicious.
runish c1400–1862 Fierce, violent, rough. English regional in later use.
keen ?c1425 Fierce, savage (chiefly of beasts); cruel; harsh ( to a person). Obsolete .
roid ?c1425–1500 Of a person: behaving roughly or violently; fierce. Obsolete .
wolvish c1430– = wolfish , adj. 2, 3.
ranish c1450– Impassioned; full of anger or fury; fierce; (in later use) spec. rash, impetuous.
malicious 1485 Of a thing: stern, fierce. Obsolete .
mannish 1530 Furious, fierce, mad; = mankind , adj.² Obsolete . rare .
lionish 1549– Of or pertaining to a lion; resembling or having the nature of a lion; brave or fierce as a lion.
truculent ?c1550– Characterized by or exhibiting ferocity or cruelty; fierce, cruel, savage, barbarous.
lion-like 1556– Resembling a lion or what pertains to a lion.
tigerish ?1573– Like, or like that of, a tiger; esp. of the nature or having the qualities of the tiger; cruel, bloodthirsty, fierce, relentless.
tiger-like 1587– Like, or like that of, a tiger; tigerish.
truculental 1593
Amazonian 1595– Of a woman: resembling an Amazon ( Amazon , n.¹ A.1a); fierce, courageous; (now esp. ) very strong, tall, or athletic.
tigerous 1597 = tigerish , adj.
Tartar-like 1603– Resembling (that of) a Tartar or Tartars (in various senses of Tartar , n.² ).
feral 1604– Of, pertaining to, or resembling a wild beast; brutal, savage.
efferous 1614–57 Fierce, violent.
lionly ?1632– Lion-like.
tigerly 1633– Tiger-like, tigerish.
feroce 1641 = ferocious , adj.
asperous 1650 Fierce, savage; cf. asper , adj. 5. Obsolete .
Tartar ?a1656– Rough, violent-tempered; irritable and intractable. Cf. sense A.2a. Frequently derogatory and now potentially offensive .
blusterous 1663– figurative . Violent, truculent; given to blustering.
wolfish 1674– Characteristic of, befitting, or resembling that of, a wolf.
boarish a1718 Of or pertaining to a boar; resembling a boar; sensual; cruel. (As borish was a former spelling of both boarish and boorish , the two were often…
savage-fierce 1770–1839
Tartarly 1821– Having a violent or rough temper; savage, fierce. Cf. Tartar , n.² A.2a.
wolfy 1828– Wolf-like; characterized by, or suggestive of the presence of, wolves; ferocious, uncivilized.
savagerous 1832– Fierce, wild, violent.
hawkish 1841– Somewhat of the nature or appearance of a hawk. Also, inclined to favour hard-line or warlike policies. Cf. hawk , n.¹ 3.
tigery 1859– Tigerish, tiger-like.
attern 1868 Venomous, poisonous; malignant.
Hunnish 1915– colloquial ( derogatory and offensive ). German.
grim Old English– Of persons or animals: Fierce, cruel, savage or harsh in disposition or action. Also, in weaker sense, daring, determined, bold. Occasionally const…
hard Old English– Difficult to bear; requiring great endurance; causing or involving (undue) suffering; cruel; grim.
hatel Old English–1415 a. Odious, detestable. b. Full of hatred; malevolent, malicious; hostile. c. Cruel; fierce; deadly.
rethe Old English–1525 Of a person, a person's disposition, etc.: cruel, harsh; given to violence or severity; (of an animal) savage, uncontrollable.
cruel 1297– Of persons (also transferred and figurative of things): Disposed to inflict suffering; indifferent to or taking pleasure in another's pain or…
despitous c1374–1578 Cruel; exhibiting ill-will, or bitter enmity, malevolent.
savage a1393– Of a person, an action, etc.: cruel, brutal, violent.
fade a1400 ? Cruel, ? hostile.
heter a1400–1673 Rough; fierce, violent, cruel; severe; keen, eager.
vengeable c1430– Characterized by, arising from, vengeance or revenge; cruel, dreadful.
despiteful 1488– Cruel, fierce; cherishing ill-will; malignant, malicious; spiteful.
unmanful a1500 Cruel, inhumane. Obsolete .
despiteous ?1510– Spiteful, malevolent, cruel; passing gradually into the sense: Pitiless, merciless, dispiteous , adj.
cruent 1524–1657 Bloody; figurative cruel.
felonish 1530 = felon , adj. A.1.
Herodian 1581– depreciative . Reminiscent or characteristic of the rule of Herod the Great's dynasty in ancient Palestine (see sense B.1b); spec. (with reference to…
felly 1583–1792 = fell , adj.¹ (in various senses); esp. cruel, destructive.
savaged 1583– Savage, barbarous, uncivilized. Also: made savage or cruel. Now rare .
Neronian 1598– Characteristic of the Roman emperor Nero; esp. tyrannical, extremely cruel, licentious.
savagious 1605 = savage , adj. A.II.5a.
Dionysian 1608– Pertaining to or characteristic of the Elder or Younger Dionysius, tyrants of Syracuse, notorious for cruelty.
black-blooded 1771– Hateful, malevolent, cruel; black-hearted. Also: melancholic, morbid, morose.
atrocious 1772– Characterized by savage enormity; excessively and wantonly cruel; heinously wicked. Of persons or agents.
Neroic 1851– = Neronian , adj.
Neronic 1864– = Neronian , adj.

Me ne dar noȝt esse [= ask] weþer he were kene þo & prout.

For þi kene carpyng cache now a shame.

Gude ensampill, men to mene Meke to be, noȝt proude na kene .

And knaw, kene scald, I hald of Alathya.

For to defend the tratoure kene .

Trait'ress too keend and cursed sorceress!

thriste Old English–1275 Bold, daring; audacious, presumptuous.
keen 1297–1594 Bold, proud, forward, insolent, heinous.
apert 1330–1688 Outspoken, forward in manner, bold, insolent. (Survives in the aphetized pert , adj. & adv. & n.² ) Obsolete .
smart c1400– Forward, impudent; cheeky, pert. Now frequently in to be (also get) smart ( with another) ( colloquial ).
malapert a1425– Of a person, quality, action, etc.: presumptuous, impudent, saucy. Cf. also sauce malapert , n.
overbold a1425– Excessively bold; unwarrantably or unduly brave; presumptuous.
affronted 1485–1696 Impudent, shameless; = effronted , adj. Obsolete .
saucy 1511– Impudent, presumptuous; insolent or disrespectful, esp. towards those in authority. In later use usually with milder sense: impertinent, irreverent…
impertinat a1525–1756 Lacking in respect or deference; presumptuous; = impertinent , adj. A.4a.ii.
over-familiar 1529– Too familiar, too well known; too well acquainted with . Also: inappropriately or unduly intimate or informal.
pert 1535–1673 In negative sense: audacious, culpably bold or daring; presumptuous; insubordinate. Obsolete .
cocket 1537– Proud, conceited; arrogant, presumptuous, impudent.
cockapert 1556– Impudent, presumptuous; impertinent, cheeky.
contumelious 1561–1703 Insolent. Obsolete .
impudent 1563– Possessed of unblushing presumption, effrontery, or assurance; shamelessly forward, insolently disrespectful.
forwardly 1581–1798 Eager, prompt, willing or quick to action. Also: bold, presumptuous, impudent.
brass-bold 1582–
pertlike 1582– = pert , adj. rare (in later use chiefly U.S. ).
paughty a1586– Haughty, proud; saucy, insolent, impertinent.
audacious 1586– Unrestrained by, or setting at defiance, the principles of decorum and morality; presumptuously wicked, impudent, shameless.
copped 1597 figurative . Saucy, peevish, crabbed. Perhaps primarily ‘heady’. Now Scottish .
effronted 1598–1641 Shameless, barefaced, unblushingly insolent.
petulant 1598–1849 Impudent, insolent, rude. Obsolete .
dorty a1605– Ill-humoured, pettish, sulky; saucy, haughty.
rufty-tufty 1606– Rumbustious, boisterous; rough, tough. Cf. earlier rifty tufty , adv. colloquial and regional in later use.
facy 1607– Characterized by ‘face’; insolent, impudent.
snappish 1608 Bold, forward, impudent. Obsolete .
bold-faced a1616– Having a bold or confident face or look; usually impudent.
over-pert 1621 transitive . To make too impertinent or forward.
impertinent 1631– Characterized by presumptuous speech or behaviour, or by intrusion or interference in that which is not… Of a person.
procacious 1660– Insolent or arrogant in attitude or tone; forward, cheeky; provocative.
insolent 1678– Contemptuous of rightful authority; presumptuously or offensively contemptuous; impertinently insulting. Said of those who treat superiors or equals…
calleting 1691–1928 Of a woman: nagging, scolding. Also: cheeky, impertinent.
effrontuous a1734 Characterized by effrontery.
imperent 1771– Insolently disrespectful; impertinent; = impudent , adj. A.2.
free 1775 Frank and open in conversation or dealings with others; ingenuous, unreserved. Also: showing a lack of proper reserve; overfamiliar, forward.
bardy 1788– Bold-faced, defiant; audacious, pert.
sassy 1799– Impudent, presumptuous; insolent or disrespectful, esp. towards someone in authority.
pawky 1809– Scottish and English regional ( northern ). Haughty, proud; insolent, impertinent. Cf. paughty , adj.
iron-sided a1825– Of a person. English regional ( East Anglian ). Bold, impudent; unmanageable. Now rare .
gilpie 1835– Scottish . Esp. of a girl: lively, bold; forward.
cheeky 1838– Impudent or insolent, esp. in speech; forward or presumptuous, esp. in a way that is amusing or disarming.
fresh 1843– Originally U.S. Forward, impertinent, rude. In later use chiefly in to get fresh (with someone) : to behave in a disrespectful or impudent way; to…
snouty 1858– colloquial . Overbearing; insolent.
nebby 1873– Sharp (in various senses); spec. brusque; impudent, cheeky; ill-natured.
gay 1889– U.S. slang . Forward, impertinent, too free in conduct, overfamiliar; reckless; usually in to get gay .
nebsy 1894– Brusque; impudent, cheeky; ill-natured. Cf. nebby , adj. 2.
nervy 1896– U.S. colloquial . Confident; cheeky, impudent.
brass neck 1925– colloquial (chiefly British ). Showing or characterized by an absence of reticence, shame, or humility; audacious; brazen; impudent. rare before late…
facety 1928– Impudent, arrogant, rude; excessively bold or feisty.
facey 1929– Bold; impertinent. Cf. facety , adj.
brass-necked 1935– colloquial (chiefly British ). Showing or characterized by a lack of shame or humility; audacious; shameless; brazen.
chutzpadik 1959– Esp. in Jewish usage: showing chutzpah; impudent, impertinent; audacious, very self-confident.

Irnene gadien kene to keoruen.

Þe hweoles beon þurhspitet mid kenre pikes þen eni cnif.

Out he caught a knyfe as A rasour kene .

He drewe his bowe with arrowe sharp and kene .

His sythes keene edge.

Plucke the keene teeth from the fierce Tygers yawes.

The keen edge of a Razor.

Like that poor wretch..Who, while in sleep..Draws his keen sword.

The keen edge will not be blunted.

Stured on..Wiþ twey kene prikkes of couetise.

Let vs be keene , and rather cut a little Then fall, and bruise to death.

Thou..Hast felt the keenest Edge of mortal Pain.

Set a keener edge On female industry.

Words Keen to wound as sharpened swords.

sharp Old English– Well adapted for cutting or piercing; having a keen edge or point: opposed to blunt . Having a keen cutting edge. Also said of the edge.
bitel c1175–1450 Sharp-edged; (of an edged weapon) keen, sharp.
keen a1225– Of weapons, cutting instruments, and the like: Having a very sharp edge or point; able to cut or pierce with ease. Also of an edge or point…
carving ?c1225– That carves or cuts; cutting, sharp.
fell c1330– Intensely painful or destructive; keen, piercing; deadly. Of a thing, esp. a natural agent, weapon, disease, suffering, poison, etc.
trenchant c1330– Cutting, adapted for cutting; having a keen edge, sharp; †sharp-pointed ( obsolete ). archaic and poetic .
snarp c1480 Sharp, keen.
cutting a1533– That cuts, in various senses of the verb.
tart ?a1534–98 Sharp, keen (as an edge, point, or weapon).
undull c1540– ( un- , prefix¹ affix 1.)
steel-sharp a1560– With the sense ‘resembling steel’ (in colour, hardness, etc.), as steel gloss ; steel-bright , steel-hard , steel-sharp , steel-straight , steel-strong …
teen 1578–80 Of a blade: sharp, keen. rare .
unrebated 1579– Of a sword, lance, etc.: not blunted or dulled; sharp. Formerly also figurative and in extended use. Now chiefly historical .
unbated 1604– Not bated or blunted.
biting 1607 That bites (in the various senses of the verb); having a tendency to bite.
eager ?1611 Of a cutting instrument: sharp. Obsolete . rare .
unblunted 1656– ( un- , prefix¹ affix 2.)
shrewd 1878– Sharp, piercing, keen. Of a weapon or the like; also of pain. archaic . (After Shakespeare: see quot. 1597 at sense 2.)
cutty 1903– Capable of cutting, sharp.

Mail order has grown rapidly in recent years... As warehouses and offices are situated in low-rent areas and there is no need of a sales staff, overheads are low. Prices, therefore, are often very keen .

Dennis Rent a Car. Keenest rates. New Street, Dublin 8.

first cost a1641– Prime cost, cost price.
ruling 1657– Business . Of a price: current, prevalent; general, average.
below-market 1916– (Of a price, rate, etc.) that is lower than that typically found on the open market.
driveaway 1931– Originally and chiefly Australian . Designating or relating to the complete price of a (new) vehicle for sale, including dealer's charges, and all…
off-price 1955– Designating goods (esp. branded merchandise, as designer clothing, etc.) bought by a retailer for less than the wholesale price and sold for less…
keen 1964– Of prices: competitive. Cf. quot. 1862 at sense A.6a, and keenly , adv. 6.
near-market 1967– Designating a rate, price, etc., set at a level close to (but usually slightly lower than) that charged on the open market; resembling that set by…

Þouȝe al þe herbe in substaunce be kene and feruente.

Take hony..and a kene nettyll.

For terre of hymselfe is to kene & is a frettar and no heylar.

Take some of the keenest onions you can possiblie get.

The keenest mustard.

Its fruit small, possessing, perhaps of all vegetables, the keenest acid.

The genii of the storm..afflict me with keen hail.

sharp Old English– Pungent in taste; also, having strong acid, alkaline, or caustic properties. †Of wine: Sour.
hot c1175– Of a food, drink, spice, etc.: having a taste or smell characterized by a burning sensation; pungently spicy; acrid, biting. Also of a taste or…
poignant c1387– Sharp, pungent, piquant to the taste or smell. Now rare .
keen 1398– transferred . Of things, substances, or agencies that affect the senses. Operating on the touch or taste like a sharp instrument; causing pain or…
angry c1400– Having a sharp or acrid taste; designating such a taste. rare .
eager ?c1400–1780 Having a marked effect on the taste or other senses. Pungent, acrid, keen; (of a medicine) sharp or violent in operation; (of a disease, pain, or…
tart c1405– Sharp to the sense of taste; †biting, pungent ( obsolete ); now esp. sour, acid, or acidulous.
argute c1420 Of taste: Sharp. Obsolete . rare .
mordicative ?a1425–1634 That bites or stings; sharp, pungent, caustic; acerbic.
mordificative ?a1425–1612 = mordicative , adj.
piperine a1425–1843 Made with or consisting of peppers; peppery, pungent. Also in extended use.
pungitive ?a1425–1764 That pricks or stings; sharp to the senses; figurative (chiefly Scottish ) keen, biting.
pike a1475–1727 Perhaps: spiced, hot, biting. pike sauce n. a spicy sauce; ( figurative ) sarcasm, pungent wit. Obsolete .
vehement 1490– Strong or pungent in flavour or odour. Now rare .
oversharp a1500– Excessively sharp (in various senses).
over-strong a1500 Excessively strong (in various senses).
penetrating ?1576– That pierces, permeates, or makes its way into or through something; spec. able to permeate the bodily system or to have an intense effect on the…
penetrative 1578 = penetrating , adj. 1a.
quick 1578–1797 Of a taste or smell: sharp, pungent. Also of a thing: having a sharp taste or smell. Obsolete .
piercing 1593 Of cold, a noise, light, etc.: having an intense physical effect suggestive of the action of a sharp-pointed instrument; keen and penetrating.
exalted 1594–1796 Chemistry and Physiology . Refined, sublimed, concentrated. Cf. exalt , v. 3. Of flavour, smell, etc.: Intense, strong. Obsolete .
mordicant 1603 Biting, sharp, caustic.
acute 1620– Of a taste or smell, or a thing embodying it: sharp, pungent.
toothed 1628– figurative . ‘Biting’, pungent, corrosive. ? Obsolete .
pungent 1644– Affecting the sense organs, esp. those of smell or taste, with a sharp, penetrating sensation; acrid, irritant; intensely flavoured, piquant.
piquant 1645– Of food, etc.: having a (usually pleasantly) pungent or sharp taste; sharp; tangy; appetizing.
tartarous 1655–1768 Of the nature of, consisting of, or containing tartar or argol.
mordacious 1657–84 Of a substance: stinging, corrosive, caustic. Obsolete .
piperate 1683–93 Containing pepper; peppery, pungent.
peppery 1684– Of or characteristic of the taste or effect of pepper; strongly flavoured with, or redolent of, pepper; pungent, biting, hot; inflaming, irritating.
tartish 1712– Somewhat tart, slightly pungent or acid; also figurative .
fell 1786–1867 Scottish . With reference to taste: keen, pungent. Obsolete .
hyperoxide 1816–55 Extremely sharp (in form, taste, etc.); very acute or acid.
snell 1835– Sharp-tasted; pungent.
mordant a1845 Sharp, keen; acutely present; that produces a smart or sting. Obsolete .
bitey 1847– Having a very strong or penetrating flavour; sharp, pungent, piquant.
shrill 1864– Characterized in various ways by sharpness, keenness, or intensity; (of a smell or taste) pungent; (of a colour, light, etc.) bright, glaring.
piperitious 1890– Resembling pepper; pungent. Cf. piperaceous , adj. 1.

Þat fire is hatter and mare kene , Þan al þe fire that here es sene.

But quicliche so kene a cold comes þer-after.

This wind sa keine .

While the Winds Blow moist and keen .

Place me where Winter breathes his keenest air.

The breeze at the summit was exceedingly keen .

keen 1340– transferred . Of things, substances, or agencies that affect the senses. Of cold (†or heat): Piercing, intense. Of wind, air, etc.: Very sharp…
bleaky 1687– Inclining to bleak , adj. (in senses 2 and 3).
bitter-biting 1749– Forming adjectives with participles and adjectives, as bitter-biting , bitter-blessed , bitter-cold , etc. Cf. bitter , adj. & n.¹ compounds C.1b.
scoury a1774 ? Scouring, bitter, sharp.
naked 1822– Of the wind: bleak, cold, raw. rare .
scything 1822– That cuts like a scythe; having the sweeping action of a scythe. Also figurative .
shy 1828– dialect . Of the wind. Chill, keen, piercing.
radiant 1508–1862 Of (esp. solar) heat: strong, fierce. Obsolete .
rigorous 1630 Of a season or climatic condition: harsh in its effects; causing difficulty or discomfort; hostile, severe, extreme; spec. bitterly cold.
strong Old English– Of movement, activity, or something moving or active: having considerable force. Of fire, heat, an internal process, etc.: intense, energetic…
smart c1300– Esp. of a natural force or process: strong, vigorous, intense; bracing, keen. Cf. sharp , adj. A.4d, A.4j.
steeve c1300– Firm, unyielding, strong, †rigid, stiff (as in death).
piercing a1400– That pierces, penetrates, or perforates as, or in the manner of, a sharp-pointed object; sharp, cutting.
perceant c1400– Penetrating, sharp, keen, piercing. Chiefly figurative .
fort a1513 Strong, powerful.
incisive 1528–1694 Sharp or keen in physical qualities or effects; cutting, piercing; in old Medicine and Physiology , having the quality of ‘cutting’ or loosening…
vigorous 1548– Full of, exhibiting, characterized by, vigour or active force; powerful, strong. Of natural agencies or phenomena, substances, etc. Now somewhat rare .
emphatical 1581– Of an action, attribute, argument, etc.: strongly marked; powerful, forceful.
searching 1590– Having a penetrating effect, typically unpleasantly or uncomfortably so. That has a powerful or intense effect on the senses or feelings; potent…
nervous 1616–1844 Of an animal or person, etc.: sinewy, muscular, strong; vigorous, energetic. Obsolete .
strenuous 1632–33 Of inanimate things: Strong, powerful in operation; also, physically robust. Obsolete .
arrowy 1650– Resembling an arrow in action, effect, etc.; piercing, keen, penetrating.
intent 1650 Intensely active. Opposed to remiss . Obsolete .
urging 1658– Strongly operative or active.
sinewous 1663 Sinewy; also figurative , strenuous, vigorous.
emphatic 1689– Of an action, attribute, argument, etc.: powerful, forceful; (in later use) striking and significant, clear and definite. Cf. earlier emphatical , adj. …
drastic 1808– transferred . Vigorously effective; violent.
needling 1839– That needles; piercing, penetrating; annoying, irritating.
shrewd 1842– Sharp, piercing, keen. Of a weapon or the like; also of pain. archaic . (After Shakespeare: see quot. 1597 at sense 2.)
gimlet 1894– attributive passing into adj. transferred . Of sight, understanding, etc.: acute, sharp, piercing.
fervent 1448–1600 Of cold: Intense, severe. Obsolete .
rigid 1611– Of weather, conditions, etc.: hostile, harsh, extreme; spec. bitterly cold. Cf. rigorous , adj. 1c. Now rare .
freezy 1902– Chilled almost to freezing; freezing cold.

Lordis & ladis..Kest vp a kene crie.

Þe crie wax kene , crusshyng of wepyns.

Keene lightning shot Through the black bowels of the quaking ayre.

Pain, whose unheeded and familiar speech Is howling, and keen shrieks.

One star..with keen beams, Like arrows through a fainting antelope.

The scent was so wonderfully keen that they raced two consecutive foxes down.

bright Old English– Originally of a voice: clear and resonant. In later use more generally of sound, esp. musical sound: clear, ringing, and typically high-pitched…
shill Old English– Sonorous, resonant, shrill.
sharp 1390– Of sound: Penetrating, shrill, high-pitched.
keen a1400– transferred . Of things, substances, or agencies that affect the senses. Of sound, light, scent: Sharp, piercing, penetrating; shrill; vivid; clear…
shrill c1400– Of a voice or sound: high-pitched and piercing; sharp.
piercing c1425– Of cold, a noise, light, etc.: having an intense physical effect suggestive of the action of a sharp-pointed instrument; keen and penetrating.
acute 1504– Of a sound: sharp or shrill in tone; high. Opposed to grave or low . Now historical .
shrilly c1565– Of a voice or sound: high-pitched and piercing; sharp. Also of a person, animal, or thing: emitting or producing a sharp, high-pitched sound.
shrillish 1583– Somewhat shrill (in various senses of shrill , adj. ).
ear-piercing a1616– Of a sound: loud and shrill; painful to hear. Cf. piercing , adj. 1b.
sonable 1623–1727 Shrill; (also) that makes a sound.
oxytonous 1653–54 Sharp-sounding, piercing; (of a voice) treble. Obsolete . rare .
argute 1719– Of sounds: Shrill.
snell c1730– Shrill, clear-sounding.
chanticleering 1786– That crows (in various senses). Also of a sound, voice, etc.: resembling the crow of a cockerel; loud and shrill. Cf. chanticleer , v.
criard 1840– Shrill; ‘loud’; garish (cf. criant , adj. ).
squealing 1879– Of the nature of a squeal.
shrilled 1880– Made shrill. rare .
bird-high 1920– Modifying adjectives, with the sense ‘like a bird; as —— as a bird’, as in bird-black , bird-blithe , bird-clear , bird-high .
bleaty 1925– Having a sound like the bleat of a beast.
stainless steel 1963– figurative or in figurative context: chiefly used attributively with allusion to the qualities of brightness, hardness, coldness, etc…

Keen , excellent... ‘A keen day.’ ‘A keen time.’

Keen , fine, attractive, splendid.

‘My mother's going to buy me four new dresses.’ ..‘That's keen .’

‘What are you studying at school?’ ‘Journalism.’ ‘That sounds keen ,’ said Sally.

It's fab, Henchcliffe, it's gear, moody, groovy, keen and withitly gogo.

He slowed to a standstill beside the second flag. ‘ Keen ,’ he said.

breme Old English–1400 Celebrated, famous, glorious (only in Old English); hence as a general epithet of admiration: Excellent, good, ‘fine’, ‘famous’; sometimes…
fair Old English– Beautiful to the eye; of attractive appearance; good-looking. Cf. foul , adj. I.7a. Now somewhat archaic … Of a person, or a person's face, figure…
goodly Old English– Of a good quality or high standard; splendid, excellent, fine. Now archaic .
goodful c1275– Excellent, worthy, virtuous.
noble c1300– Distinguished by virtue of splendour, magnificence, or stateliness of appearance; of imposing or impressive proportions or dimensions. †Also as n. …
price c1300–1615 As a general term of appreciation: worthy, noble; praiseworthy, commendable; prime.
special c1325– Exceptional in quality or degree; unusual; out of the ordinary; esp. excelling in some (usually… Of an abstract concept, immaterial thing, etc…
gentle c1330–1604 Of things: noble, excellent, fine. Obsolete .
fine ?c1335– As a general term of approbation: admirable; excellent; of notable merit or distinction.
singular a1340–1712 Above the ordinary in amount, extent, worth, or value; especially good or great; special… Of remedies, medicines, etc.: Excellent; highly…
thriven a1350–1400 As an epithet of commendation, esp. in the alliterative phrase thriven and thro (see thro , adj.² ): ? Eminent, excellent, worthy, honourable…
thriven and thro a1350–1450 Origin, status, and meaning uncertain; occurs in the alliterative phrase thriven and thro , always commendatory or honorific, and apparently meaning…
gay a1375– Noble; beautiful; excellent, fine. More generally. regional in later use.
proper c1380– Such as a person or thing of the kind specified should be; admirable, excellent, fine; of high quality; of consequence, serious, worthy of…
before-passing a1382 Excelling.
daintiful 1393–1440 = dainty , adj.
principal a1398– Of special quality; excellent, choice; first-class, first-rate. Now rare ( Scottish in later use).
gradely a1400– Of things. Excellent, suitable, handsome.
burly c1400–1873 poetic . Of things: Goodly, excellent, noble. Obsolete . (As an epithet of spear , brand , the meaning may have been ‘stout’: cf. boisterous , adj. )
dainty c1400–1855 Valuable, fine, handsome; choice, excellent; pleasant, delightful. Obsolete or dialect in general sense.
thriving c1400–1540 In alliterative use: Excelling, excellent, worthy; = thriven , adj. 2, thrifty , adj. 2. Obsolete .
vounde c1400 (Meaning obscure.)
virtuous c1425–75 Of high quality, excellent. Obsolete .
hathel c1440–1540 Noble; worthy.
curious c1475–1816 Without explicit reference to workmanship: Exquisite, choice, excellent, fine (in beauty, flavour, or other good quality). Obsolete or dialect …
singler c1500 = singular , adj. , in various senses.
beautiful 1502– Realizing an ideal of intellectual or moral excellence; pleasing to the mind, esp. in being appropriate or well-suited to a particular purpose…
rare ?a1534– colloquial . In weakened sense: splendid, excellent, fine. Now chiefly Scottish , Irish English , and English regional .
gallant 1539– Used as a general term of admiration or praise: excellent, splendid, fine, grand. Cf. brave , adj. A.3. Now chiefly Irish English .
eximious 1547– Excellent, distinguished, eminent; notable, singular.
jolly 1548– Used as a general expression of admiration: Splendid, fine, excellent.
egregious ?c1550– In a positive sense. Of a person, or his or her qualities: distinguished, eminent; great, renowned.
jelly c1560– Good, worthy, excellent; having a high opinion of oneself, proud, haughty.
goodlike 1562– Of a good quality or high standard; splendid, excellent, fine; = goodly , adj. 4a. Now Scottish .
braw c1565– = brave , adj. A.3; worthy, excellent, capital, fine.
of worth 1576– of worth : valuable, useful, important; of high merit or excellence; worthy. Cf. of value at value , n. phrases P.1.
brave ?1577– loosely , as a general epithet of admiration or praise: Worthy, excellent, good, ‘capital’, ‘fine’… Of things.
surprising 1580–1831 Exciting admiration, admirable; occasionally adv. Obsolete .
finger-licking 1584– a. n. The action or an act of licking the fingers, esp. to remove remnants of food after eating; b. adv. so as to cause a person to lick his or her…
admirable a1586– Worthy of admiration or praise. In later use also as a general term of esteem or appreciation: excellent, very good, pleasing.
excelling a1586– That excels; superior, surpassing. Now only in good sense. †Of a number: Exceedingly great.
ambrosial 1598– In extended or weakened use: extremely beautiful or pleasing; extraordinarily great; excellent, wonderful.
sublimated 1603– Of a person or immaterial thing: elevated to a high degree of perfection, excellence, or refinement; noble; exalted.
valiant 1604 Of an item of clothing: splendid. Obsolete .
excellent 1609– (The current sense; originally a contextual use of 1.) Used as an emphatic expression of praise or approval, whether of persons, things, or…
fabulous 1609– Such as is met with only in fable; beyond the usual range of fact; astonishing, incredible. Now frequently in trivial use, esp. = ‘marvellous’…
pure 1609–1888 slang . Fine, good, excellent, nice. Obsolete .
starry c1610– figurative and in figurative contexts. That shines spiritually, morally, or intellectually; illustrious; excellent, admirable.
topgallant 1612–1850 Used humorously or poetically as an intensive: = gallant , adj. (in various senses). Cf. sense A.4. Obsolete .
lovely 1614– In weakened use: excellent; delightful, pleasant, nice; enjoyable. Now also as int.
soaring a1616– figurative . Rising to a great height, high pitch, etc.; egregious; ambitious, aspiring; sublime.
twanging 1616 colloquial . Exceptionally fine or good. Cf. stunning , adj. , ripping , adj. , etc. Obsolete .
preclarent 1623 Excellent.
prime a1637– colloquial . In weakened or ironic use: excellent, splendid; marvellous. Chiefly in predicative use, or as int.
prestantious 1638 Characterized by excellence; excellent.
splendid 1644– Excellent; very good or fine.
sterling 1647– Of character, principles, qualities, occasionally of persons: Thoroughly excellent, capable of standing every test.
licking 1648– That licks. Of a flame: = lambent , adj. Also slang , first-rate, ‘splendid’ (cf. thumping , adj. 2, whacking , adj. ).
spanking a1666– Very big, large, or fine; exceptionally good in some respect, frequently with implication of showiness or smartness.
rattling 1690– Rapid, brisk, vigorous. Also: remarkably good.
tearing 1693– Impressive, splendid, grand; ‘ripping’, ‘rattling’, ‘stunning’. colloquial or slang . (Now rare .)
famous 1695– Used (chiefly colloquially ) as an emphatic expression of approval: Excellent, grand, magnificent, splendid, ‘capital’.
capital 1713– Excellent, outstanding, first-rate. Frequently as an exclamation of approval. Now somewhat dated .
yrare 1737– Pseudo-archaic f. rare , adj.¹
pure and — 1742–1873 pure and — : very, truly; entirely, utterly. Cf. and , conj.¹ A.I.i.5. See also sense B.1. Obsolete ( regional in later use).
daisy 1757– slang . (chiefly U.S. ). A first-rate thing or person; also as adj. First-rate, charming.
immense 1762– slang . Superlatively good, fine, splendid, etc.
elegant 1764– North American and Irish English . As a general term of approbation: very good, excellent, first-rate. Also as adv. Cf. iligant , adj.
super-extra 1774– Designating a commodity, manufactured goods, etc., of the highest quality; ( Bookbinding ) designating a premium-quality binding, typically with…
trimming 1778 That trims, in various senses of the verb; making trim, adorning, decorating; clipping, paring; colloquial or slang , ‘stunning’, ‘rattling’…
grand 1781– colloquial . Used as a general term to express strong admiration, approval, or gratification: magnificent, splendid; excellent; highly enjoyable…
gallows 1789– dialect and slang . As an intensive: Very great, excellent, ‘fine’, etc.
budgeree 1793– Good, excellent.
crack 1793– Pre-eminent, superexcellent, ‘first-class’.
dandy 1794– Fine, splendid, first-rate. colloquial (originally U.S. ). Frequently in fine and dandy .
first rate 1799– As an emphatic expression of praise or approval: extremely good, excellent.
smick-smack 1802– Elegant, first-rate. rare .
severe 1805– colloquial (chiefly U.S. ). A vague epithet denoting superlative quality; very big or powerful; hard to beat.
neat 1806– colloquial . Good, excellent; desirable, attractive; (weakened in later use) ‘cool’. Also as int. Chiefly U.S.
swell 1810– That is, or has the character or style of, a ‘swell’; befitting a ‘swell’. Of persons: Stylishly or handsomely dressed or equipped; of good…
stamming 1814– Fine, excellent.
divine 1818– In weaker sense: More than human, excellent in a superhuman degree. Of things: Of surpassing beauty, perfection, excellence, etc.; extraordinarily…
great 1818– colloquial (originally U.S. ). As a general term of approval: excellent, admirable, very pleasing, first-rate. Cf. sense A.III.13a.
slap-up 1823– Very or unmistakably good or fine; of superior quality, style, etc.; first-rate, first-class, grand… Of things. Now used esp. of meals.
slapping 1825– Of persons or things: Unusually large or fine; excellent, very good; strapping.
high-grade 1826– gen. Of a high grade or standard; good quality.
supernacular 1828– Esp. of drink: excellent, superb, outstanding. Cf. supernaculum , n. B.3.
heavenly 1831– colloquial . In weakened sense: excellent, wonderful, very pleasant.
jam-up 1832– Usually jam-up . Excellent, perfect; thorough. colloquial .
slick 1833– First-class, excellent; neat, in good order; smart, efficient, that operates smoothly; superficially attractive, glibly clever. (Of things, actions…
rip-roaring 1834– Full of energy and vigour; boisterous, wildly noisy; first-rate, exciting.
boss 1836– attributive . Of persons: master, chief. Of things: most esteemed, ‘champion’. Now esp. in U.S. slang : excellent, wonderful; good, ‘great’; masterly.
lummy 1838– First-rate.
flash 1840– Of a hotel, etc.: First-class, fashionable, ‘crack,’ ‘swell’.
kapai 1840– Good, fine; excellent; very pleasant.
slap 1840– = slap-up , adj.
tall 1840–52 figurative . Great in quality, excellent, good, first-class. ( U.S. slang .)
high-graded 1841– = high-grade , adj. (in various senses).
awful 1843– colloquial . In emphatic use. Cf. sense B Used to emphasize something enjoyable or positive; excellent, first-rate, tremendous.
way up 1843– Far up; very high up.
exalting 1844– That exalts (in various senses of the verb).
hot 1845– Characterized by intensity or energy, in a positive or neutral sense (cf. sense A.II.9); exciting… colloquial (originally U.S. ). Extremely good…
ripsnorting 1846– = rip-roaring , adj.
clipping 1848– slang . Excellent, first-rate.
stupendous 1848– In weakened sense: extremely good or pleasing; marvellous, splendid.
fly 1849– Chiefly U.S. (esp. in African American usage). Stylish, sophisticated, fashionable; attractive, good-looking; (later also more generally)…
stunning 1849– colloquial . Excellent, first-rate, ‘splendid’, delightful; extremely attractive or good-looking.
raving 1850– colloquial (originally U.S. ). Worth raving about; superlative, stunning.
shrewd 1851– As an intensive, qualifying a word denoting something in itself bad, irksome, or undesirable: Grievous… ‘Hard to beat’, formidable. rare .
jammy 1853– Covered with jam, sticky. Also figurative ( colloquial ), excellent; very lucky or profitable; easy, ‘soft’.
slashing 1854– Very large or fine; splendid. Now chiefly Australian .
rip-staving 1856– Boisterous, rollicking; impressive, excellent. Also as an intensifier. Cf. rip-roaring , adj. , ripsnorting , adj.
ripping 1858– slang . Excellent, splendid; ‘rattling’. Now somewhat archaic .
screaming 1859– transferred and figurative . slang . First-rate, splendid.
up to dick 1863– slang and regional . up to dick : up to a proper or high standard; excellent; (also) properly, suitably; excellently; to a high standard.
nifty 1865– Chiefly U.S. Smart, stylish; attractive; of good quality.
premier cru 1866– A growth or vineyard that produces wine of a superior grade; the wine itself. Also in extended use and figurative . Cf. cru , n. , growth , n.¹ 1d and…
slap-bang 1866– = slap-up , adj. a.
clinking 1868– slang . Used intensively, as adj. or adv. , like chopping , clipping , whacking , rattling , etc.
marvellous 1868– colloquial . In weakened sense (formerly sometimes regarded as an affectation in speech): extremely good or pleasing; splendid.
rorty 1868– Boisterous, rowdy; saucy; jolly, cheery. Also: dissipated, profligate; (of a song, story, etc.) lively, risqué; (of a drink) intoxicating.
terrific 1871– As an enthusiastic term of commendation: amazing, impressive; excellent, exceedingly good, splendid.
spiffing 1872– Excellent, first-rate, very good, etc.; fine or smart in, or with regard to, dress or appearance. Also as adv.
top tier 1879– Of or belonging to the highest or upper level, class, or grade; first-rate.
all wool and a yard wide 1882– Phrases and proverbial sayings. (a) against the wool : contrary to the direction in which wool naturally lies, the wrong way. (b) to draw (pull, †spr …
gorgeous 1883– colloquial . Used as an epithet of strong approbation. (Cf. splendid , adj. )
nailing 1883 colloquial . Good, excellent. Obsolete . rare .
stellar 1883– Having the quality of a star ( star , n.¹ I.4); leading, outstanding. Originally and chiefly U.S.
gaudy 1884– slang . In negative sentences: Very good.
fizzing 1885– slang . First-rate, excellent; chiefly quasi- adv.
réussi 1885– Fine, excellent; successful.
ding-dong 1887– colloquial (originally English regional , later chiefly Australian ). Excellent, great; extraordinary; exciting.
jim-dandy 1888– Remarkably fine, outstanding.
extra-special 1889– Applied to a special extra (sometimes the latest) edition of a newspaper, etc. Also as n. : such an edition. Hence transferred and figurative …
yum-yum 1890– Excellent, first-class; delectable.
out of sight 1891– slang (originally U.S. ). Excellent, incomparable, wonderful, extraordinary. Cf. outasight , adj.
high-calibre 1893– a. Of a high standard; high-quality; (of a person) highly capable; very skilled, experienced, etc.; b. (of a gun) having a large bore or calibre…
outasight 1893– Excellent, incomparable; = out of sight , adj. B.2. Also as int. : fantastic.
smooth 1893– Superior, excellent, ‘classy’; clever, ‘neat’. colloquial (originally U.S. ).
top-of-the-basket 1894– Of high calibre; excellent; outstanding.
corking 1895– Unusually fine, large, or excellent; stunning. Also adv.
large 1895– slang (originally and chiefly U.S. ). Of a period of time: enjoyable, exciting; excellent.
super 1895– Of a product, model, etc.: that is of the highest quality or is especially well designed for its purpose.
hot dog 1896– North American slang . Of outstanding quality or merit; skilful; flashy, ostentatious.
bad 1897– As a general term of approbation: good, excellent, impressive; esp. stylish or attractive.
to die for 1898– colloquial (originally U.S. ). to die for : (chiefly used predicatively) as if worth dying for; extremely good or highly desirable. Also in to die …
yummy 1899– Delicious, delectable; also as int.
deevy 1900– ‘Divine’; delightful, sweet, charming.
peachy 1900– colloquial (originally U.S. ). Excellent, marvellous, great; (of a woman) attractive, desirable.
hi 1901– Chiefly in advertising or commercial contexts: = high , adj. Frequently in compounds, as hi-def , hi-res , hi-top . Compare lo , adj.
v.g. 1901– Very (in various phrases, as v.g. very good, v.h.c. very highly commended, etc.).
v.h.c. 1901– Very (in various phrases, as v.g. very good, v.h.c. very highly commended, etc.).
divvy 1903– Extremely pleasant, ‘divine’, ‘heavenly’.
doozy 1903– Remarkable, excellent; also, amazing, incredible.
game ball 1905– Irish English . In predicative use: in very good health, spirits, etc.; fine, excellent.
goodo 1905– Chiefly New Zealand and Australian . In predicative use: good; excellent; (also in weaker sense) satisfactory, all right.
bosker 1906– Good, excellent, delightful. Cf. bonzer , n. & adj. & adv. Hence as n.
crackerjack 1910– Exceptionally fine or good; of marked excellence or ability.
smashing a1911– colloquial . Very good; greatly pleasing; excellent; sensational.
jake 1914– Excellent, admirable, fine, ‘O.K.’
keen 1914– transferred . Of things, substances, or agencies that affect the senses. Jolly good, very nice, splendid. colloquial (originally U.S. ).
posh 1914– Smart, stylish, splendid; luxurious. Also (chiefly British ): typical of or belonging to the upper class; (affecting to be) superior or genteel…
bobby-dazzling 1915–
juicy 1916– figurative . Excellent, vigorous, first-rate; serious; profitable.
pie on 1916– Very good, excellent.
jakeloo 1919– In the same sense.
snodger 1919– Excellent, very good, first-rate. Also as adv. and n.
whizz-bang 1920– Striking, flashy, and impressive; very exciting or appealing. Also more generally: exceptionally good, excellent.
wicked 1920– Excellent, splendid; remarkable. slang (originally U.S. ).
four-star 1921– Designating a (high) rank in a grading system for hotels, etc., usually with four or five grades; also transferred , of a high degree of excellence.
wow 1921– Exciting or expressing admiration and delight.
Rolls-Royce 1922– Suggestive or characteristic of a Rolls-Royce or an owner of a Rolls-Royce; spec. of the highest quality; luxurious, excellent.
barry 1923– Originally: fine, grand, smart or attractive in appearance. In later use chiefly: good, great, excellent.
nummy 1923– Of food: delicious, yummy, especially tasty or tempting. Also: designating an interjection that expresses one's pleasure in a particular food.
ripe 1923– colloquial . Fine, excellent; thoroughgoing (also used ironically).
shrieking 1926– figurative . Great, excellent, splendid.
righteous 1930– U.S. slang (originally in African American usage). Excellent, wonderful; ‘cool’.
marvy 1932– = marvellous , adj. A.2.
cool 1933– colloquial (originally U.S. ). Originally in African American usage: (as a general term of approval) admirable, excellent. Cf. hot , adj. A.II.12c.
plenty 1933– U.S. slang (in African American usage). Excellent.
brahma a1935– Excellent, great.
smoking 1934– colloquial (originally U.S. ). Frequently in form smokin' . Originally Jazz . Very lively, energetic, or exciting; performing or performed at a very…
crazy 1935– colloquial (originally U.S. ). Expressing approval: excellent, great, fantastic. Cf. cool , adj. A.8b.
solid 1935– U.S. slang . In the language of jazz: excellent, first-rate, ‘great’; (see also quot. 1937). Also as int. solid sender : see solid sender at sender , n. …
mellow 1936– slang (originally and chiefly Jazz and among African Americans). Pleasing or satisfying in any respect; excellent; skilful.
groovy 1937– Playing, or capable of playing, jazz or similar music brilliantly or easily; ‘swinging’; appreciative of such music, ‘hep’, sophisticated; hence as…
tough 1937– U.S. slang (originally and chiefly in African American usage). Excellent, great, admirable.
bottler 1938– Extremely good; excellent, great, fantastic.
fantastic 1938– In trivial use: excellent, good beyond expectation. colloq.
ready c1938– U.S. slang (chiefly Jazz ). Well prepared or practised; (hence) excellent, first-rate. Now rare .
ridge 1938– Good; all right; genuine.
super-duper 1938– Used for emphasis: especially large, powerful, etc.; very good or impressive; exceptional, marvellous, super.
extraordinaire 1940– Remarkable, outstanding; of a person: unusually active or successful in a particular field. Used postpositively.
rumpty 1940– Excellent, outstanding.
sharp 1940– As a general term of approbation. Originally U.S. slang . Excellent, fine.
dodger 1941– Good, excellent.
grouse 1941– Extremely good; excellent, outstanding, great.
perfecto 1941– Perfect; excellent.
pipperoo 1945– Very pleasing; remarkable.
real gone 1946– slang (originally and chiefly U.S. ). Excellent; very inspired or excited; ‘out of this world’. Esp. in real gone . Now somewhat dated .
bosting 1947– Excellent, superb.
supersonic 1947– colloquial . Excellent, wonderful, admirable, very exciting. Also as int.
top 1947– colloquial (chiefly British , Australian and New Zealand ). Excellent, great, fantastic. Cf. tops , adj.
tops 1948– Chiefly British , Australian and New Zealand . Excellent, great, fantastic. Cf. top , adj. B.5.
whizzo 1948– Excellent, wonderful.
neato 1951– That is excellent, desirable, or ‘neat’; wonderful, ‘fantastic’. Also as int. See neat , adj. A.I.5a.
peachy-keen 1951– Excellent, wonderful.
ridgey-dite 1953– All right. Cf. ridge , adj.
ridgy-didge 1953– Good; all right; genuine; = ridge , adj.
whizzing 1953– Excellent, ‘smashing’. slang .
badass 1955– Belligerent or intimidating; ruthless; tough. Also as a general term of approval: formidable, superlative (cf. bad , adj. A.IV.13).
wild 1955– U.S. slang . Remarkable, unusual, exciting. Used as a general term of approbation.
belting 1956– colloquial (chiefly British ). Excellent, outstanding.
magic 1956– colloquial . In weakened use: superlatively good, excellent, fantastic. Frequently as int.
bitching 1957– slang . Frequently in form bitchin' . Expressing admiration, approval, or enthusiasm: great, excellent, wonderful; very attractive or appealing…
swinging 1958– Uninhibited, ignoring conventions; lively and up to date: applied to persons, places ( swinging London ), etc., and spec. to the 1960s ( swinging Sixties …
a treat 1959– a treat ( adv. & adj. ): so as to gratify highly; extremely well; also ( gen. or ironically ) extremely, excessively. colloquial .
ginchy 1959– Attractive, esp. sexually; cool, excellent, fashionable.
ridiculous 1959– Originally Jazz slang . Outstanding, excellent; unbelievably good. Cf. crazy , adj. II.8.
fab 1961– = fabulous , adj. 5b. Also as n.
bad-assed 1962– = badass , adj.
uptight 1962– In approbation: that reaches the desired standard; excellent, fine.
diggish 1963– Excellent, splendid.
cracker 1964– slang (chiefly New Zealand ). Fine, excellent; exceptional of its kind.
marv 1964– = marvellous , adj. A.2. Cf. marvy , adj.
radical 1964– slang . (a) Originally Surfing challenging; extreme; (b) (more generally) excellent, fantastic; = awesome , adj. A.1c. Cf. rad , adj.³
bakgat 1965– Very good, excellent.
unreal 1965– colloquial (originally North American slang ). Incredibly or extraordinarily good or bad.
pearly 1966– British colloquial . More generally: fine, excellent.
slamming 1967– colloquial . Frequently in form slammin' . Originally U.S. Of popular music: having a prominent, danceable beat or propulsive rhythm; (hence more…
together 1968– Fashionable, up-to-date; hence used as a general term of commendation. slang .
safe 1970– slang (originally South African ). Good, excellent; okay, all right. Also as int.
brilliant 1971– figurative . In weakened use: amazing, ‘fantastic’. colloquial .
fabby 1971– = fab , adj. Cf. fabbo , adj.
schmick 1972– Smart, stylish; admirable, excellent.
butt-kicking 1973– Aggressive, violent, tough; strong, powerful. Also: excellent or impressive.
ripper 1973– Excellent, fantastic.
Tiffany 1973– Used allusively to denote organizations, etc., considered equal to Tiffany and Co. in high-quality craftsmanship or exclusiveness. Also Tiffany-type …
bodacious 1976– slang (originally and chiefly U.S. ) Excellent, fabulous, great.
rad 1976– a. Originally Skateboarding . Challenging, risky; extreme; = radical , adj. A.11(a). b. More generally: admirable, excellent, fashionable; ‘cool’; = ra …
kif 1978– As a general term of approval: admirable, excellent, cool.
awesome 1979– colloquial (originally U.S. ). As a general term of approval: excellent, fantastic, great. See also sense C
death 1979– Excellent, impressive, outstanding. Cf. def , adj.
killer 1979– attributive or as adj. Very effective; excellent, ‘sensational’ (frequently applied to popular music). Cf. killer-diller , n. slang .
top banana 1979– Excellent, first-rate.
shiok 1980– As a general term of approval: admirable, enjoyable, excellent.
stonking 1980– Excellent, amazing; considerable, powerful.
brill 1981– = brilliant , adj. A.2c.
dope 1981– Chiefly among rap musicians and enthusiasts: excellent, great, impressive.
mint 1982– colloquial . Excellent, great.
to die 1982– colloquial (originally U.S. ). to die for : (chiefly used predicatively) as if worth dying for; extremely good or highly desirable. Also in to die …
epic 1983– colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S. ). Particularly impressive or remarkable; excellent, outstanding.
kicking 1983– Exciting, lively; great, excellent. slang .
fabbo 1984– = fab , adj. Also as int. Cf. fabby , adj.
mega 1985– Excellent, great. Usually in predicative use.
ill 1986– slang (originally U.S. , in the language of rap and hip-hop). Excellent, attractive; fashionable.
barnstorming 1988– Originally: characteristic or reminiscent of a barnstormer (in sense barnstormer , n. 1); melodramatic, excessively theatrical or exaggerated…
sound 1988– colloquial and regional (chiefly Irish English and British ). In weakened use (of things or persons): good, reliable; impressive, excellent…
posho 1989– British colloquial (frequently depreciative ). Smart, stylish; typical of or belonging to the upper class; = posh , adj.
poptastic 1990– Designating or relating to a very good recording or performance of pop music. Also more generally: fantastic, excellent.
pukka 1991– British slang . Excellent, superb; ‘cool’.
lovely jubbly 1992– colloquial . Excellent, fantastic.
shagadelic 1997– Sexy, esp. in a psychedelic or ‘retro’ way. Also as a general term of approval.
awesomesauce 2001– Extremely good; excellent.
nang 2002– As a general term of approval: good, excellent, cool.
bess 2006– Excellent, marvellous, great; (of food) very enjoyable, delicious; (of a person) very attractive.
amazeballs 2008– Extremely good or impressive.
boasty 2009– Bermudian English . Good, excellent, impressive, cool.
daebak 2009– As a general term of approval: excellent, fantastic, great.
beaut 2013– Beautiful; (also) excellent, impressive, admirable. Also ironic .

It komses of a kene þouȝt þat ich haue in hert.

Þis dome þat was sa kene .

Þe folk mon dei,..þis hunger es sa ken .

This cairfull cas so kene .

It may be, he retain'd too keen a memory of Those who had..Persecuted him.

Keen Remorse with Blood defil'd.

Mr. Tremlow..had betrayed the keenest mental terrors.

sharp Old English– Severe, strict, harsh. Of pain, suffering, grief, etc.: Keen, acute, intense. Of experiences: Intensely painful.
grievous c1290– Of a disease, wound, or pain: Causing great suffering or danger; acute, severe. Now rare .
smart c1300– Of pain (physical or mental), sorrow, etc.: sharp, keen, painful, severe. Also of a wound or other cause of discomfort.
unsufferable a1340– Too distressing, severe, or painful to be borne; going beyond the limits of physical endurance. Of outward things.
keen a1375– Of agencies that affect the mind. Of circumstances, thoughts, feelings, etc.: Causing acute pain or deep distress. Also, of pain, grief, etc.: Acute…
poignant c1390– Originally: painfully sharp to the physical or mental feelings, as hunger, thirst, a pang, an affront, etc.; also said of a state of feeling, as…
rending ?c1400– That tears or lacerates; (in later use esp. ) that causes great emotional pain.
furious c1405–1627 Of pains, diseases, evil influences: Raging, cruel. Obsolete .
stout c1425 Of pain: Severe. Obsolete .
unbearable c1449– Unendurable, intolerable.
agonizing 1570– Causing agony or extreme anguish; exceedingly painful physically or mentally; (in weakened sense) causing worry, causing difficulty in making a…
tormenting 1575– That torments, in various senses of the verb.
cruciable 1578 Excruciating, racking.
raging 1590– Of a disease or pain: violent.
tormentuous 1597–1860
pungent 1598– Of pain: as if caused by a sharp point; piercing, stabbing; pricking. Also: painful. In later use figurative (cf. sense A.5). Now rare .
racking 1598– Torturing, tormenting; causing intense pain or suffering.
acute 1615– Of pain, pleasure, etc.: acting keenly on the senses or emotions; keen, poignant, intense.
wrenching 1618– That wrenches or twists; of the nature of a wrench. Also figurative .
excruciating 1664– That excruciates or causes extreme pain or anguish, whether bodily or mental; tormenting, torturing, agonizing. Const. to .
grinding 1681– Of pain, etc.: Excruciating, racking, wearing.
excruciate 1773 = excruciating , adj.
discruciating 1788 Torturous, excruciating.
unendurable 1801– That cannot be endured; insufferable.
of bare sufferance 1823 Capacity to endure, endurance. of bare sufferance , barely endurable. Obsolete .
perialgic 1893

Þe renkes reneyed Þis comeliche accused with wordes wel kene .

Good Father Cardinall, cry thou Amen To my keene curses.

Enjoyning me to make it a little keene , for that the Hollanders had very unhandsomely abused him.

They pointed their keenest satire against a despicable race.

Keen speeches had been made,..but nothing had been done.

trenchant a1325– figurative esp. of language: Incisive; vigorous and clear; effective, energetic.
eager a1382–1626 Of words: biting, keen; harsh. Obsolete .
keen a1400– Of agencies that affect the mind. Of language: Sharp, severe, incisive, cutting.
tuant 1672– Of language or words: Cutting, biting, keen, trenchant.
tranchant 1776 Early form of trenchant , adj. & n. ; also from 18th cent. a loanword from French; esp. in figurative sense: = trenchant , adj. A.2; also of…
incisive a1850– figurative . Sharp or keen in mental qualities; producing a highly clear and impressive mental effect; penetrating, acute, trenchant.

Þan eiþer hent oþer hastely in armes, & wiþ kene kosses kuþþed hem to-gidere.

Þough he crye to cryst þanne with kene wille.

Keene , feruidus .

A dul fighter and a kene [1623 keene] guest.

The Courage of the..Troops was never Keener .

When he first begins the new work he is seldom very keen and hearty.

The keenest native sportsman I ever met with.

In this age of keen competition.

They were listened to by high and low with the keenest enjoyment.

He had a keen interest in some branches of science.

oflist Old English–1275 Possessed with a strong desire; affected with longing.
yern Old English–1425 Eager, earnestly or keenly desirous; also, greedy, covetous.
courageous c1290–1400 Desirous, eager ( to do something). Obsolete .
eager ?a1300– Of a person: full of keen desire or appetite; impatiently longing to do or obtain something. With infinitive expressing the desired action. Keen…
greedy a1300– In wider sense: Eager, keen; †eagerly active, zealous ( obsolete ); eagerly or keenly desirous of or † to do (something).
keen a1375– Of persons: Eager, ardent, fervid; full of, or manifesting, intense desire, interest, excitement, etc. Also, of desire, feeling, etc.: Intense.
affectuous a1400–1680 Earnest in feeling or desire; eager, ardent. Obsolete .
lickerous c1405–1633 gen. and figurative . Having a keen relish or desire for something pleasant. Const. of ; also, eager to do something.
appetent c1420– Longing, eagerly desirous. Const. after , of .
affectual 1483–1581 Earnest, ardent, eager. Obsolete .
gasping 1517– That gasps (in various senses of the verb); characterized by or accompanied by gasping. Also figurative .
zealous 1531– Of a person, group, etc.: fervently or passionately devoted to a cause, belief, undertaking, etc… With infinitive or clause indicating a desired…
avidious 1534– = avid , adj.
avidous 1542 = avid , adj.
affective c1550 Earnest, zealous. Obsolete . rare .
anxious 1570– Having a strong desire for something, to do something, or that something should happen; keen, eager, greatly concerned.
lickerish 1579– gen. and figurative . Eagerly desirous, longing, greedy; = lickerous , adj. 2b.
solicitous 1628– Anxious, eager, desirous. With in (governing nouns of action).
mantling 1657 Eagerly desiring; frisky; rampant. Cf. mantle , v. 7. Obsolete .
ambitioning 1683 Ambitious.
urgent 1753– Eagerly desirous to do something.
avid 1769– Ardently desirous, extremely eager, greedy. Const. of , for , rarely infinitive .
agasp 1800– In a gasping condition. Also as predicative adj. : gasping, eager.
concernable 1886 Of a person: eager, desirous. Obsolete .
yearnful 1889– Full of or expressing yearning, longing, or desire ( for or after something).
yevery 1896– Greedy; eager, anxious.
greedy c1385– Of actions, qualities, emotions, and the like: Characterized by or manifesting intense or eager desire; keen, eager.
pungent a1710 Strongly or painfully affecting the feelings; intense, keen; painful, poignant. Now rare and literary .

Corageous & kene ȝoure clere gold to wyn.

She wyl not hold to it, except she be kene of horsyng.

Sir Roger is so keen at this Sport.

Men were not so keen upon coming in themselves.

Still keen to listen and to pry.

Religious professors..are just as keen about money.

Who is more keen for gain than the modern Jew?

Is there anything you are particularly keen on?

He was keen to say good-bye to ye.

They'll let nature take its course if they don't feel keen on a man surviving.

She's attractive, intelligent, amusing—and obviously pretty keen on me, my dear.

Maxine urged Guinivere to take Buster Graham more seriously. ‘He's frightfully keen ,’ she said, ‘on you .’

amorous c1330– Of a person: feeling or expressing love (now esp. sexual love or desire) for a particular person or… Without construction.
in love (with) a1398– in love (with) : enamoured (of), filled with love (for); (in extended use) very fond (of), much addicted (to). In quot. 1398: †in heat ( obsolete ). See…
in amours 1523 In plural . Romantic or sexual love. Frequently in in amours : in love ( with someone). Obsolete .
passionate 1534– Expressive of or characterized by intense love; dominated or moved by deep sexual love or desire; †affected with love, infatuated ( obsolete ).
browden 1597–1758 Enamoured, fond.
inamorate 1606– Enamoured, in love.
enamoured a1631– Full of the passion of love; in love. Also, in weaker sense, charmed, fascinated.
épris 1793– Enamoured.
that way 1865– With about (also over ). In love with; infatuated with.
kissy 1873– Amorous, affectionate, sentimental; that invites kissing; characterized by or given to kissing.
pash 1920– Passionate; physically or sexually attractive.
potty 1923– Depreciative senses. Madly in love; madly enthusiastic about , madly keen on .
keen 1936– Const. about , against , at , for , † of , or with infinitive; also colloquial on ( upon ): interested in; also, sweet on, in love with.

Her glance is as the razor keen .

Hunting, like bloodhounds, with the keenest noses.

Looking through those he saw, till you turned away from the keen glance.

I for one have keener perceptions when an enemy is near.

She looked hard at me with her keen gray eyes.

Dogs keen of scent and swift of foot.

sharp Old English– Acute or penetrating in intellect or perception. Of sight, hearing, the eyes or ears: Acute, keen. Often in figurative expressions.
quick ?1526– Keenly perceptive; capable of ready perception, alert. Of the senses. Now somewhat archaic .
subtile 1565– Of a feeling, sense, sensation, etc.: acute, keen.
acute 1641– Of the senses or nervous system: keen, sharp, quick in catching or responding to impressions. Hence, of the emotions: sensitive to impressions…
quick-set 1653– Lively, animated; (of the senses or intellect) keen, attentive, aware.
keen c1720– Of the eyes or eyesight: Sharp, penetrating. Hence, of hearing, smell, or other sense: Acute, highly sensitive. Also of persons or animals: Sharp of …

He seems to me one of the keenest men living.

When the keenest researches are..proceeding in the different parts of the European world.

To this poor Swain a keen Attorney came.

Nature had given him a keen understanding.

Her letters are characteristic of the keen woman of the world.

sharp Old English– Acute or penetrating in intellect or perception. Of persons or their faculties: †(a) Intellectually acute, keen witted, discerning, sagacious ( obs …
yepe Old English–1485 Prudent, wise, sagacious, shrewd, astute.
spack a1200– Of a person: quick, prompt, ready; intelligent, clever. In later use archaic and English regional .
yare-witel c1275 Quick-witted.
fell c1300– Shrewd; clever, cunning.
seeing a1382– Possessing insight or understanding; perceptive, discerning; (originally) spec. that is a seer or prophet (now rare ).
far-casting a1387–1480 Scheming, shrewd.
sighty a1400– Keen-sighted; clever. Now dialect .
yap a1400– Clever, cunning; shrewd, astute; nimble, active: = yepe , adj. A.1.
perceiving a1425– That perceives or is capable of perceiving. Formerly also: †discerning, acute, wise.
snell c1425– Keen-witted, clever, sharp, acute, smart.
politic ?a1439– Of a person: prudent, shrewd, sagacious.
quick c1449– Of a person: mentally alert or agile; prompt to learn, think, or understand; intelligent; of ready wit.
hard-witted c1450– †a. Lacking in intelligence, slow-witted ( obsolete ); b. shrewd, businesslike.
pregnant ?a1475– Of a person or the mind: full of ideas; imaginative, inventive; resourceful; (of wit) quick, sharp. Now rare .
pert 1484– Quick to see and act, sharp; clever; quick-witted; adroit. Now rare ( regional in later use).
quick-witted c1525– Having a quick or ready wit; quick to grasp, or react to, a situation; mentally acute, sharp, clever.
apt 1535– Susceptible to impressions; ready to learn; intelligent, quick-witted, prompt. In modern use with at .
intelligent c1540– Having a high degree or good measure of understanding; quick to understand; knowing, sagacious.
queem c1540–1772 Of a person. Skilled, clever, sharp. Obsolete . rare .
ready-witted 1576– Of a ready wit or intelligence; quick of apprehension. Frequently in predicative use. Cf. quick-witted , adj.
political 1577–1817 = politic , adj. A.2. Obsolete .
of (a) great, deep, etc., reach 1579–1875 of (a) great, deep, etc., reach : of great, deep, etc., knowledge or power of comprehension. Obsolete .
conceited 1583– Witty, amusing; employing or characterized by conceits ( conceit , n. III.10b). Now rare .
perspicuous 1584– Discerning; penetrating; acute; = perspicacious , adj. 2.
sharp-witted a1586– Sagacious, intelligent.
shrewd 1589– Of action, speech: †Cunning, artful ( obsolete ); characterized by penetration or practical sagacity.
inseeing 1590– Having or showing insight; insightful, perceptive.
hard-baked 1594– Baked until hard; also (and in earliest use) figurative ; cf. hard-boiled , adj. 2b.
conceived 1596 Witty, ingenious; = conceited , adj. A.1c. Obsolete . rare .
acute 1598– Of the intellect or a product of it: having subtle or quick discernment; penetrating, keen, sharp-witted, shrewd, clever. Opposed to dull , stupid , o …
pregnate 1598– = pregnant , adj.¹ (in various senses).
agile 1599– Of a person, the mind, etc.: able to think, understand, and react quickly; alert, astute, quick-witted; (also) characterized by quick-wittedness.
nimble-headed 1601–24
insighted 1602–1881 Having insight: endowed with insight.
nimble 1604– Of a person: quick-witted, clever, acute.
nimble-witted 1604– Quick-witted; having a sharp mind.
penetrant 1605– figurative . Chiefly literary . Having or showing mental penetration or insight; acute, subtle; = penetrating , adj. 3.
penetrating 1606– Having or showing insight or percipience; acute, discerning.
sprag a1616– Smart, clever.
acuminous 1619– Distinguished by acumen; acute, shrewd.
discoursing 1625–39 Passing rapidly from one thought to another; quick-witted; mercurial. Obsolete .
smart 1639– Of a person: clever in talk or argument; capable of making witty remarks, quick-witted; adept at repartee.
penetrative a1641– Having the power of mental penetration or insight; intellectually acute. Also, of the eyes, a person's gaze, etc.: intense, searching; able to see…
sagacious 1650– Gifted with acuteness of mental discernment; having special aptitude for the discovery of truth; penetrating and judicious in the estimation of…
nasute 1653–1707 Having a keen critical faculty; sagacious. Obsolete .
acuminate 1654– Having or showing acumen. rare .
blunt-sharp a1661– Sharp but not pointed with malice.
long-headed 1665– That has or shows great foresight or judgement; discerning, shrewd; intelligent, thoughtful. Frequently Scottish and Irish English in later use.
smoky 1688–1784 Quick to suspect or take note; shrewd, sharp, suspicious. Obsolete .
rapid 1693– Quick in action or discourse; (also) quick in understanding; keen, sharp, vigorous.
keen 1704– Of persons: Intellectually acute, sharpwitted, shrewd: often with mixture of sense A.6. Also of the mind or mental operations: Endowed or conducted…
gash 1706– Sagacious, wise; shrewd. Now rare .
snack 1710– Quick, alert, clever, smart.
cute 1731– Acute, clever, keen-witted, sharp, shrewd.
mobile 1778– Of a person's mind, imagination, temperament, etc.: likely to change or display different aspects; shifting; versatile; (also) lacking focus…
wide awake 1785– figurative . colloquial . Thoroughly vigilant or on the alert; fully aware of what is going on, or of what it is best to do; intellectually keen…
acuminated 1786– Of the intellectual, discernment, etc.: sharpened, made keen; (of attention, feeling, etc.) acutely concentrated. Now rare .
quick-minded 1789– Having a quick or ready mind; quick-witted.
kicky 1790– (See quot. 1808.) Also, clever, lively; provoking, teasing, annoying. Scottish .
snap 1790– Quick; smart; sharp.
downy 1803– Aware, alert, savvy; cunning, crafty.
snacky 1806– Clever, acute, sharp.
unbaffleable 1827– ( un- , prefix¹ affix 1.)
varmint 1829– Knowing, clever, cunning.
needle-sharp 1836– As sharp as a needle; figurative acute, quick-witted.
nimble-brained 1836–
spry 1849– Alert, clever.
fast 1850– Of a person or the mind: quick to understand, learn, and think; intelligent, clever. Cf. slow , adj. I.2.
snappy 1871– colloquial . Cleverly smart, bright, or pointed (of language, etc.); full of ‘go’; brisk.
hard-boiled 1884– Of a person: hard-headed, shrewd, esp. in a ruthless, unsentimental manner; hardened, callous; tough and cynical. Also of a place: full of or…
on the spot 1903– Of a person: quick-witted, alert, sharp.
quick Old English– Of the mind and its qualities or operations, esp. wit: alert, active, keenly perceptive; ready, lively, agile.
ready a1393– Of the mind or mental faculties: quick to understand, plan, etc.; alert, perceptive, incisive. Now chiefly in ready wit .
piercing c1425– Of the sight, mind, intellect, etc.: sharp, keen; penetrating, incisive; seeing or appearing to see clearly through or into something.
piercive 1567–1631 Piercing, penetrative.
perforating 1578– That perforates something; that bores or passes through something; penetrating; ( Anatomy , of an artery, vein, nerve, or muscle) that passes through…
sharp 1580– Acute or penetrating in intellect or perception. Of reasoning or discourse: acute, sagacious. Also, of remarks: pointed, apt, witty.
nimble 1589– Of the mind, intellect, etc.: quick to devise or plan; clever, versatile, alert.
sudden 1604–1742 Of mental faculties: Quick, sharp. Obsolete .
smirk 1607 Of mental faculties: Quick, ready, smart.
apprehensive 1621– Of mental faculties and their operations: Showing apprehension or grasp of a subject; intelligent, discerning, quick.
emunct 1679–97 Of the judgement: Keen, acute.
arrowing 1793– That resembles or suggests an arrow in flight; arrow-like; (of the mind, a look, etc.) penetrating, piercing.
keen 1794 Of persons: Intellectually acute, sharpwitted, shrewd: often with mixture of sense A.6. Also of the mind or mental operations: Endowed or conducted…
thorough-edged 1830 Having an extremely sharp edge; keen-edged (in quot. figurative ).
insightful 1907– Characterized by insight.

His face was keen as is the wind That cuts along the hawthorn fence.

Her hair which so cunningly curled About her keen face.

flat c1400– Without curvature or projection of surface. Of the face or nose.
hard c1400– Of a person's features or appearance: characterized by strongly delineated lines; rough-hewn.
low-cheered c1400 Having a meek countenance; mild-faced.
large ?a1425–1535 With of . Obsolete .
ruscled c1440 Perhaps: wrinkled, rugged.
well-visaged c1440–1535 Having an attractive face.
platter-faced 1533– Having a face like a platter; also figurative .
well-faced 1534–1870 Having an attractive or beautiful face; pretty. Also figurative .
full-faced 1543– Of a person: having a full or plump face. Also (occasionally) in extended use.
fair-faced 1553– Of a person. (a) Having a beautiful or attractive face; beautiful, good-looking. (b) Having a fair or light-coloured complexion.
bright-faced a1560– Forming adjectives with the sense ‘that has (a) bright —— ’, by combining with a noun + -ed , as bright-cheeked , bright-coloured , bright-faced , bright-h …
crab-faced 1563– Having a crab face.
crab-snouted 1563– (See crab-faced , adj. ).
crab-tree-faced 1563–
long-visaged 1584–
owly a1586– = owlish , adj.
broad-faced 1588– Having a broad face.
wainscot-faced 1588–1640
flaberkin 1592 Puffed out, puffy.
rough-hewn 1593– figurative and in figurative contexts. Unpolished, unrefined. Also: (of a person's face or features) strong, angular.
angel-faced 1594– Having a face like that of an angel; having a beautiful, sweet, or innocent face.
round-faced 1594– Having a round face.
swine-faced 1595– Having a face likened to that of a pig; cf. swine face , n.
crab-favoured 1596–
rugged 1596– Of a person's features or appearance: rough-hewn, craggy; weather-beaten; strongly marked. Now frequently: attractively masculine.
weasel-faced 1596–
rough-faced 1598– Having a rough face; with a rough surface (in various senses of rough , adj. ). Also figurative .
half-faced 1600–10 Of a person: having a thin, narrow face. Cf. half face , n. 1b, half-faced groat , n. Obsolete .
chitty 1601– Said of the face. Lean and pinched.
lenten-faced 1604– Having a gaunt or hungry-looking face.
half-faced 1606– Of a person: presented, seen, or depicted with one's face in profile.
dog-faced 1607– Having a face like that of a dog.
weaselled-faced 1607–92 = weaselly , adj. Only in combination weaselled-coloured , weaselled-faced adjs.
wry-faced 1607– Having the face out of line with the neck and chest; also, that has or makes a wry face.
maid-faced 1610
warp-faced 1611 Having distorted features.
ill-faced a1616– Having an unpleasing face or aspect, ugly.
lean-faced a1616–
old-faced a1616– Chiefly literary . Having a face characteristic of age.
moon-faced 1619– Of a person: having a round full face; ( figurative ) having a dreamy or distracted expression. Of a clock, etc.: having a pale face or dial…
monkey-faced 1620– Having a face like that of a monkey.
chitty-face 1622 attributive . = chitty-faced , adj.
fish-faced a1625– Usually depreciative . colloquial . Having a face or expression resembling that of a fish.
chitty-faced a1627– Having a thin pinched face; child-faced, girl-faced.
lean-chapt 1629–
antic-faced 1635 Having a grotesque or humorously distorted face (see antic , n. B.3).
bloat-faced 1638– Bloat : Puffed, swollen, inflated, esp. with self-indulgence. Hence bloat-faced adj. (In modern writers an echo of Shakespeare's word since that has…
bacon-face a1640– Having a fat sleek face.
blue-faced 1640– Having a blue or bluish face.
hatchet-faced 1648– Having a narrow or sharp-featured face, often with a severe or hostile expression.
grave 1650 In past participle = chiselled , adj. 2. Obsolete . rare .
writhled-faced a1655 Having a wrinkled, shrivelled, or withered face.
weak 1664– Of a facial feature: not prominent or well-defined, often (esp. in early use) taken as indicating weakness of character or lack of resolve. Also of…
long-favoured 1678–1899 That has long facial features; cf. favoured , adj.² 1.
lean-jawed 1679–
smock-faced 1684– Having a pale smooth face; feminine-looking.
lean-visaged 1686–
flaber 1687 ? = flaberkin , adj.
baby-faced 1692– Having a baby face. Also, of a quality or characteristic: possessed by a person having a baby face. Cf. chitty-faced , adj.
splatter-faced 1707– Having a broad flat face.
chubby 1722– Round-faced; plump and well-rounded.
puggy 1722– Resembling a monkey or pug dog; (of a person) having such a face or nose; (of a feature) flat, squat, ‘pug’.
haggard-looking 1756– Having a gaunt or haggard appearance.
long-faced 1762– Having an unhappy, disappointed, or exaggeratedly solemn facial expression.
haggardly 1763– Haggard; having a gaunt or worn appearance, esp. from fatigue, worry, illness, or old age. In early use also: †ugly, deformed ( obsolete ).
fresh-faced 1766– Having a clear and healthy-looking complexion; having a youthful, innocent appearance; (also) of or relating to such an appearance.
dough-faced 1773– Having or characterized by a pale, plump, or bloated face or complexion.
pudding-faced 1777– (Of a person) that has a pudding face (see pudding face , n. ).
baby-featured 1780–
fat-faced 1782 Having a fat face. Of persons. †Also figurative (nonce-use) of land, with allusion to the sense fat , adj. A.III.9a, fertile.
full-featured 1787– a. (Of a person) having full or broad facial features; b. (of computers, software, electronic equipment, etc.) having a wide or complete range of…
haggard 1787– Having a gaunt or worn appearance, esp. from fatigue, worry, illness, or old age.
weazen-face 1794–
ferret-like 1801–
lean-cheeked 1812–
mulberry-faced 1812–
open-faced 1813– Having a wide, well-rounded face; not sharp-featured. Esp. in extended use: having a face revealing or suggesting qualities of frankness, candour, or…
keen 1819– Of the face or looks: Suggestive of mental acuteness or sharpness.
open-countenanced 1819– Having an appearance suggesting frankness, candour, or simplicity of character; cf. with (an) open face at open , adj. I.6b.
chiselled 1821– figurative . Having clear and sharp outlines, as if cut with a chisel.
hatchety 1821– Resembling the blade of a hatchet; spec. (of the face) narrow and sharp-featured. Also in hatchety-faced adj. (cf. hatchet-faced , adj. ).
misfeatured 1822– Having bad or distorted features; misshapen.
terse 1824 Wiped, brushed; smoothed; clean-cut, sharp-cut; polished, burnished; neat, trim, spruce.
weazen-faced 1824–
mahogany-faced 1825–
clock-faced 1827– Having a face or end featuring a clock; having a face resembling that of a clock; round-faced.
sharp 1832– With reference to form only (without implication of cutting or piercing). Of features: Emaciated, peaked, thin.
sensual 1833– Of a person or a person's temperament, behaviour, etc. Of facial features: believed to indicate a pleasure-loving nature; spec. (of the lips) thick…
beef-faced 1838–
weaselly 1838– Weasel-like. Also weaselly-looking .
turnip-faced 1839– depreciative . Having a face resembling a turnip; (in early use often) spec. having a pale appearance or complexion.
ferret-faced 1840–
sensuous 1843– Of facial features: believed to indicate keen responsiveness to pleasure derived from the senses. Cf. sensual , adj. A.3d.
rat-faced 1844–
recedent 1849– That recedes (in various senses); sloping backwards; retreating; regressive; = receding , adj.
neat-faced 1850–
bread-faced 1851– Having a face likened to bread in some way; unhealthily pale, pasty-faced.
cherubimical 1854– = cherubimic , adj.
kindly-faced 1856– = kind-faced , adj.
pinch-faced 1859– Having pinched or emaciated features.
cherubic 1860– Like a cherub represented as a child-angel; having a childish innocent face.
frowny a1861– Having a habit of frowning.
receding 1866– That recedes (in various senses); sloping backwards; retreating.
misfeaturing 1885– That distorts the features.
platopic 1885 = platyopic , adj.
platyopic 1885– Having a broad flat face.
pro-opic 1885– Designating or having a head with a prominent or projecting profile.
falcon-face 1891–
blunt-featured 1916–
bun-faced 1927–
hackit-faced 1995– Having an ugly face; cf. hatchet-faced , adj.

So woundeth hit through-out my herte kene .

Thou art ane Saraȝine..that counteris sa kene .

Outthrow the hart thay thirll me sa kene .

Hunger and thirst..quick'nd at the scent Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me so keene .

deep Old English– figurative . Deeply, in various senses of deep , adj. ; to a great extent; profoundly, intensely, etc.
deeply Old English– With strong emotion or feeling; profoundly, intensely. In later use also in weakened sense as an intensifier: to a great extent, extremely.
inly Old English– Inwardly, internally, within; in regard to the inner life or feelings. Also: in a way that touches the heart or inmost part; intimately, closely…
inwardly Old English–1632 In or from the inmost heart; with deep emotion or feeling; heartily, fervently, earnestly.
mortally c1390– With reference to hatred, jealousy, fear, disquietude, offence, etc.: bitterly, grievously, intensely.
keen a1400–1667 = keenly , adv. Obsolete .
keenly a1400– With reference to feeling: Acutely, intensely, deeply, strongly.
from the bottom of one's heart a1413– from the bottom of one's heart and variants: from the depths of the emotions; sincerely. Similarly in the bottom of one's heart , to the bottom of o …
from (also fro) one's heart 1477– from (also fro) one's heart : from the depths of one's soul or being; with the sincerest or deepest feeling. Also from the heart .
profoundly 1489– To a great extent or degree; thoroughly, intensely, extremely.
from the spleen ?a1505–71 In various phrases. from the spleen , from the heart. Scottish . Obsolete .
sensibly 1577– Of feeling or emotion: acutely, intensely. Now rare and archaic .
with sense 1578–1750 with sense : with emotion or sensitivity; feelingly. Often with modifying adjective, as due , great , some , etc. Obsolete .
smartly c1580– Keenly, sharply (in respect of feeling); (also) heavily.
soakingly 1593– figurative . Deeply, profoundly.
dearly 1604–16 With reference to other feelings than love or affection. Deeply, keenly. Obsolete . Cf. dear , adj.²
intimately 1637– Very deeply or inwardly; In a way that affects one's inmost self or moves the deepest feeling.
viscerally 1637–
exquisitely 1678– With reference to perception or sensation. In an exquisite degree; intensely, acutely, keenly.
sensitively 1793– With reference to feeling: acutely, intensely. In later use chiefly in collocation with jealous . Now rare .
exaltedly 1855– In an exalted manner or degree; in a high style; also, with exaltation or excitement.
intensely 1860– With intense feeling, expression, etc.
keenly c1275– transferred . Sharply, piercingly, incisively. Of sensuous impressions: Acutely.
feelingly a1382–1731 With accurate perception or understanding; sensibly, intelligently; appositely. Obsolete .
quickly c1392–1587 With quickness of perception; in an alert manner. Cf. quick , adj. A.III.24a. Obsolete .
subtilely c1450 With reference to the senses: keenly, acutely. Obsolete .
keen 1572 = keenly , adv. Obsolete .
acutely 1596– In relation to the senses or emotions: keenly, delicately; sharply, intensely, poignantly. Now frequently with aware , conscious .

Pronunciation

ð th ee
ɬ rhingy ll

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence <petal> /ˈpɛtl/ but <petally> /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

a trap, bath
ɑː start, palm, bath
ɔː thought, force
ᵻ (/ɪ/-/ə/)
ᵿ (/ʊ/-/ə/)

Other symbols

The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here .

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in <bitter>

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence <petal> /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but <petally> /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

i fleece, happ y
æ trap, bath
ɑ lot, palm, cloth, thought
ɔ cloth, thought
ɔr north, force
ə strut, comm a
ər nurse, lett er
ɛ(ə)r square
æ̃ sal on

Simple Text Respell

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

arr carry (British only)
a(ng) gratin
o lot (British only)
orr sorry (British only)
o(ng) salon

Variant forms

keen typically occurs about ten times per million words in modern written English.

keen is in frequency band 6, which contains words occurring between 10 and 100 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency of keen, adj. & adv. , 1750–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole , n.¹, mole , n.², mole , n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Decade	Frequency per million words
1750	6.0
1760	6.0
1770	7.4
1780	8.5
1790	8.5
1800	9.4
1810	8.5
1820	9.7
1830	11
1840	11
1850	15
1860	17
1870	19
1880	22
1890	25
1900	26
1910	27
1920	27
1930	22
1940	17
1950	14
1960	12
1970	10
1980	8.8
1990	8.7
2000	11
2010	11

Frequency of keen, adj. & adv. , 2017–2023

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Period	Frequency per million words
Oct.–Dec. 2017	21
Jan.–Mar. 2018	33
Apr.–June 2018	35
July–Sept. 2018	35
Oct.–Dec. 2018	33
Jan.–Mar. 2019	35
Apr.–June 2019	36
July–Sept. 2019	34
Oct.–Dec. 2019	31
Jan.–Mar. 2020	31
Apr.–June 2020	31
July–Sept. 2020	36
Oct.–Dec. 2020	30
Jan.–Mar. 2021	32
Apr.–June 2021	35
July–Sept. 2021	35
Oct.–Dec. 2021	31
Jan.–Mar. 2022	32
Apr.–June 2022	34
July–Sept. 2022	34
Oct.–Dec. 2022	29
Jan.–Mar. 2023	31

Compounds & derived words

All compounds & derived words
Curated compounds
keenship , n. a1225–75 Keenness, boldness, fierceness.
man-keen , adj. & n. c1300– Of an animal or (rarely) a person: inclined to attack people; fierce, savage.
unkeen , adj. ?a1425– Not sharp; dull (literal and figurative). Somewhat rare.
keenness , n. 1530– Intensity of feeling or action; eagerness, incisiveness.
keen , v.¹ 1599–1727 transitive. To render keen; to sharpen.
keen-cold , adj. 1605
keen-edged , adj. a1616–
keen-aired , adj. 1730–
keen-biting , adj. 1757–
keen-eyed , adj. 1781–
keen-nosed , adj. 1797–
keen-sightedness , n. 1813–
keen-judging , adj. 1819–
over-keen , adj. 1821–
keen-visioned , adj. 1834–
keener , n.² 1839– One who drives a hard bargain; (also) a person or thing in some way superior.
keen-witted , adj. 1855–
keen-sighted , adj. 1862–
keen-set , adj. 1863–
keen-cut , adj. 1871–
keen-scented , adj. 1887–
keen-edge , adj. 1895–
sword-keen , adj. 1901–
keen-bladed , adj. 1906–
keen-eared , adj. 1908–
mad keen , adj. 1923– Very keen, wildly enthusiastic.
razor-keen , adj. 1923–
mustard-keen , adj. 1935–
peachy-keen , adj. 1951– Excellent, wonderful.
keen-bent , adj.
keen-bitten , adj.
keen-faced , adj.
keen-fanged , adj.
keen-piercing , adj.

Entry history for keen, adj. & adv.

keen, adj. & adv. was first published in 1901; not yet revised.

keen, adj. & adv. was last modified in June 2024.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into keen, adj. & adv. in June 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1901)

Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

View keen, a. (adv.) in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for keen, adj. & adv., browse entry.

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Intermediate Dictionary







		Wordsmyth

Lookup History


	keener, keenest
	very sharp; able to cut easily into thin, exact pieces. ,
	quickly able to sense or understand; sharp. , , , , , ,
	felt strongly; eager; intense. , , , , , , ,
	, , , , , , , ,
	keenly (adv.), keenness (n.)

	See
	, ,

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a keen razor.

Antonyms: dull

a keen wind;

keen satire.

Synonyms: caustic , bitter , cutting

Synonyms: acute , penetrating , piercing

keen reasoning;

a keen mind.

Synonyms: clever , shrewd , sagacious , astute , acute , discerning

Antonyms: obtuse , dull

keen competition.

keen ambition;

keen jealousy.

She is really keen on going swimming.

Synonyms: fervid , earnest

Older Slang. great ; wonderful ; marvelous .
a wailing lament for the dead.

verb (used without object)

to wail in lamentation for the dead.

verb (used with object)

keening his mother while kneeling at her grave.

to lament the dead
a dirge or lament for the dead
eager or enthusiastic

keen on golf

keen on a girl

(of sight, smell, hearing, etc) capable of recognizing fine distinctions
having a sharp cutting edge or point

a keen wind

a keen desire

keen prices

slang. very good

Derived Forms

ˈkeener , noun
ˈkeenness , noun
ˈkeenly , adverb

Other Words From

keen·ly adverb
keen·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of keen 1

Origin of keen 2

Synonym Study

Example sentences.

That’s not good for a leader like Xi, keen to rule for life.

Sorkin is keen to stress that passion and persistence matter more than talent and the value of visualizing dreams before they become reality.

While countries are keen to build up scant domestic manufacturing capacity, it’s a costly and complex business, and difficult to compete with larger producers, Gavi’s Berkley said.

Like young adults who are keen to leave home at age 18, young leopards migrate in order to begin their family and establish territorial control over new areas.

For the last few months, Facebook, keen to look like it’s working with credible publishing sources, has paid Upday journalists to populate its Coronavirus Information Center.

Would a state with a keen understanding of the power of propaganda be so willing to just throw away such a trove of information?

Manttan is keen to carry out research on that Burmese side of the railway as his father worked on that section.

It offers keen insights into Hitch's craft while painting an intimate and unsentimental picture of the man behind the camera.

And because millions of us are so keen to do just that, our behavioral habits are changing.

The Telegraph reports that he is fluent in Swahili and a keen zoologist.

The student who does not intend to arouse himself need hope for no keen sense of beauty.

One other illustration of this keen childish dialectic when face to face with the accuser deserves to be touched on.

Impersonation may be more easily achieved intellectually, requiring only keen observation and the power of imitation.

The keen resentment had faded from his face, but an immense reproach was there—a heavy, helpless, appealing reproach.

Garnache bowed to the lady, who returned his greeting by an inclination of the head, and his keen eyes played briskly over her.

Related Words

More about keen, what does keen mean.

Keen commonly means eager, interested, or enthusiastic. This sense of the word is often followed by about or on and the particular interest, as in He’s very keen on music.

More generally, keen means sharp, intense, or strong. It can be used to mean sharp in a literal way, as in a keen blade . It can also be used in several figurative ways. A keen sense of smell is one that’s very strong and perceptive. A keen intellect is one that’s sharp in the sense of being mentally strong. A keen desire is an intense one. A keen satire and a keen wind are both piercing and biting—they both sting.

The word keen can also be used as a slang term meaning wonderful or splendid, and this is how it’s used in the phrase peachy keen , which is used as an informal and playful way to describe something as excellent or wonderful.

Example: He showed keen jealousy over my keen knife.

Where does keen come from?

The first records of the word keen in English come from before 900. It comes from the Old English word cēne and is related to the Old Norse kœnn , meaning “wise, skillful.” Keen wasn’t used in a slang way to mean “excellent” until the 1900s.

Keen can be used in a number of different ways, but most of them involve enthusiasm, intensity, or (literal or figurative) sharpness. When keen is used to describe something sharp—like a knife or a mind—its opposite can be dull in either sense of the word. If you’re keen to do something, it means you’re excited about it—you can’t wait. If you’re not keen on something, it means you’re not interested in it or enthusiastic about it.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to keen ?

keenly (adverb)
keenness (noun)

What are some synonyms for keen ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with keen ?

peachy keen

What are some words that often get used in discussing keen ?

How is keen used in real life?

Keen can be used in many different contexts. It’s more commonly used in the U.K. than the U.S.

Poll: Nashville generally supports incentives, not as keen on Music City Center http://t.co/d95fq36ZfP pic.twitter.com/qNCFP6AFCi — Tennessean (@Tennessean) October 18, 2015

Turkey Vultures are carrion feeders which keep the countryside clean — they have a keen sense of smell and can locate remains from a mile away. #WildNebraska pic.twitter.com/JiI5EEElc7 — Nebraska Game and Parks (@NEGameandParks) March 13, 2020

Scientists have learned a lot from Yellowstone wolves over the past 25 years. For instance, they aren’t so keen on the term “alphas” to describe a pack’s dominant pair anymore. A more appropriate term might be leaders or parents. https://t.co/84WmQYUViV — Wolf Conservation Center (@nywolforg) August 31, 2020

Try using keen !

Which of the following things could be described as keen ?

A. a sharp blade B. a strong sense of hearing C. an enthusiastic person D. all of the above

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Lookup History


	keener, keenest
	extremely sharp; able to cut readily and finely. , , ,
	finely discerning; extremely perceptive; acute. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
	intense, vivid, or strongly felt. , , , , , , , , , , ,
	enthusiastic, eager, or desirous.
	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscriber feature
	keenly (adv.), keenness (n.)

	See
	, ,

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What part of speech is keen.

Keen can be categorized as an adjective, a noun and a verb .

1. keen is a verb, present, 1st person singular of keen (infinitive).
2. keen is a verb (infinitive).
3. keen is a noun, singular of keens .
4. keen is an adjective.

Inflections

Infinitive Present Simple Past Past Participle Gerund
(to) keen keen / keens keened keened keening
Infinitive : (to) keen
Present : keen / keens
Simple Past : keened
Gerund : keening
Singular Plural
keen keens
Singular: keen
Plural: keens
Positive Comparative Superlative
keen keener keenest
Positive : keen
Comparative : keener
Superlative : keenest

Adjective to adverb

Adjective Adverb
keen keenly
adjective : keen
adverb : keenly

What does keen mean?


- having a sharp cutting edge or point;
- having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; ; ; ; ; ;
- very good; ; ; ;
- intense or sharp; ;
- painful as if caused by a sharp instrument; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

- To sharpen; to make cold.
- To utter a keen.
- To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
- To mourn.

- a funeral lament sung with loud wailing

Examples of keen

#		Sentence
1.	adj.	A blade.
2.	adj.	winds.
3.	adj.	For that reason, he said, Kumaratunga's government was to beef up military preparedness with Indian support.
4.	adj.	With the US military presence posing a threat on their borders in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran’s moderate leadership is to help stabilise Karzai so that the US presence in Afghanistan is reduced.
5.	adj.	Catherine de Medici of France is a chess player.
6.	adj.	David has a interest in aesthetics — the qualities that make a painting, sculpture, musical composition, or poem pleasing to the eye, ear, or mind.
7.	adj.	A fence between makes love more .
8.	adj.	I was on classical music in my school days.
9.	adj.	I'm on Mary passing the examination.
10.	adj.	Bob is to pass the examination.
11.	adj.	Tom is on surfing.
12.	adj.	Those children are on skating.
13.	adj.	The kid has a sense of hearing.
14.	adj.	The knife has a blade.
15.	adj.	The child has a sense of hearing.
16.	verb	I am not on this kind of music.
17.	verb	I'm not particularly on this kind of music.
18.	verb	I am not on anything that is after life.
19.	verb	I'm not on this kind of music.
20.	verb	Tom wasn't at all to stay in the castle, which he'd heard was haunted.
21.	verb	Tom wasn't on the idea.
22.	verb	Tom wasn't too on the idea.
23.	verb	I wasn't particularly on that idea.

Sentence
adj.
A blade.
winds.
For that reason, he said, Kumaratunga's government was to beef up military preparedness with Indian support.
With the US military presence posing a threat on their borders in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran’s moderate leadership is to help stabilise Karzai so that the US presence in Afghanistan is reduced.
Catherine de Medici of France is a chess player.
David has a interest in aesthetics — the qualities that make a painting, sculpture, musical composition, or poem pleasing to the eye, ear, or mind.
A fence between makes love more .
I was on classical music in my school days.
I'm on Mary passing the examination.
Bob is to pass the examination.
Tom is on surfing.
Those children are on skating.
The kid has a sense of hearing.
The knife has a blade.
The child has a sense of hearing.
verb
I am not on this kind of music.
I'm not particularly on this kind of music.
I am not on anything that is after life.
I'm not on this kind of music.
Tom wasn't at all to stay in the castle, which he'd heard was haunted.
Tom wasn't on the idea.
Tom wasn't too on the idea.
I wasn't particularly on that idea.

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Definition of keen verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

present simple I / you / we / they keen	/kiːn/ /kiːn/
he / she / it keens	/kiːnz/ /kiːnz/
past simple keened	/kiːnd/ /kiːnd/
past participle keened	/kiːnd/ /kiːnd/
-ing form keening	/ˈkiːnɪŋ/ /ˈkiːnɪŋ/

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

Other results

(as) keen as mustard
mad keen (on something/somebody)

Nearby words

Online Language Dictionaries

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of ' ' (adj): WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024
keen adj., ~ + to + verb][usually: be + ~]I was very keen to go swimming.[~ + on/about]He was very keen on football. be + ~ + on]not keen on anyone special at the moment. great;
wonderful:a keen new bike. , adv. : felt the loss keenly.
, n. [ ]]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024
keen adj., etc., or an infinitive):She is really keen on going swimming. great;
wonderful;
marvelous. Old English ; cognate with German Old High German bold, Old Norse wise, skillful ly, adv.
ness, n.
See cutting, bitter, caustic. piercing, penetrating, acute. discerning, acute, astute, sagacious, shrewd, clever. See earnest, fervid. dull.
keen n.
v.i.
v.t. (noun, nominal), (verb, verbal, stem of ) lament er, n.

/kiːn/ adj ) followed by on: fond (of); devoted (to): keen on a girl, keen on golf : a keen wit : a keen wind : a keen desire Brit extremely low so as to be competitive: keen pricesEtymology: Old English related to Old High German brave, Old Norse wise; see can , know

adv n /kiːn/ vb (intransitive) n Etymology: 19th Century: from Irish Gaelic from Old Irish I wail

n ' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , , , , , , , UK: [she, his mother] keened over him, let out a [loud, piercing, shrieking] keen, has keen [vision, eyesight],

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adjective as in enthusiastic

Strongest matches

anxious , ardent , avid , eager , fervent , fierce , impatient , intense

Strong matches

alert , animate , animated , devoted , earnest , intent , interested , spirited , warm

Weak matches

agog , appetent , athirst , breathless , dying to , ebullient , fervid , fond of , gung-ho , impassioned , lively , perfervid , sprightly , thirsty , vehement , vivacious , zealous

adjective as in sharp, piercing

acute , intense , strong

acid , caustic , cutting , edged , extreme , fine , honed , penetrating , pointed , tart

incisive , observant , perceptive , quick-witted , razor-sharp , sardonic , satirical , trenchant , unblunted

adjective as in intelligent

astute , discriminating , quick , sensitive , sharp , shrewd , wise

discerning , Einstein , whiz

bright , brilliant , canny , clever , nobody's fool , perceptive , perspicacious , sagacious , sapient , sharp as a tack

Example Sentences