The most common keen meaning is eager or very interested, as in "she is keen to start her new job." The word also describes things that are sharp, whether a blade, a mind, a sense of smell or a cold wind.
It sounds a little more British than American in the eager sense, though it is understood everywhere and is very common in India. What follows is the full definition of keen, how to build sentences with it, and the separate verb that means to wail in grief.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Eager; sharp; strong or intensePart of speech
Adjective (main); verb (rare, to wail)Pronunciation
KEEN, rhymes with greenWord forms
keener, keenest, keenly, keennessOrigin
Old English cene, "bold, brave"Opposite
Reluctant, indifferent (eager sense); dull, blunt (sharp sense)Register
Neutral; "keen on" slightly informal
Keen meaning, sense by sense
- Eager or enthusiastic. "He is keen to help." "They are keen on hiking."
- Quick and sharp in mind. "She has a keen eye for detail." "A keen observer of people."
- Strong in the senses. "Dogs have a keen sense of smell." "Owls have keen hearing."
- Intense. "Keen competition for places," "a keen interest," "keen disappointment."
- Sharp-edged or biting. "A keen blade," "a keen wind off the sea." This sense is more literary today.
- Low in cost (British shop talk): "keen prices" means competitive prices.
Asked to define keen in a single word, most teachers would pick "eager," which covers most everyday uses, though a fuller keen definition needs the sharp senses too.
Keen on, keen to, keen that
The grammar after the word changes the shade of meaning:
- keen on + noun or -ing: liking something. "I'm not keen on spicy food." "She's keen on painting."
- keen to + verb: wanting to do something soon. "We're keen to hear your ideas."
- keen that + clause: strongly wanting something to happen, a bit formal. "The coach is keen that everyone warms up."
- keen on + person: having a romantic interest, mostly British and informal. "I think he's keen on her."
"Not keen" is a polite way to say you do not want something, softer than a flat no.
Sentences with keen
- The new intern is keen and asks good questions in every meeting.
- My grandfather is a keen gardener and grows his own chillies.
- Investors are keenly watching the rate decision.
- Competition for the scholarship is keen this year.
- Honestly, I'm not keen on driving at night.
Roots in Old English
Keen goes back to Old English cene, which meant "bold, brave, fearless" and later "clever" or "wise." It has relatives in other Germanic languages, such as German kühn, "bold." By around 1200 it described sharp blades, and the sense of eager appears by around 1300. Sharp eyesight was called keen from the early 1700s.
The verb to keen, meaning to wail loudly over the dead, is a different word. English borrowed it in the early 1800s from Irish caoinim, "I weep, I lament," and is used mostly about traditional Irish mourning.
Keen beside eager, avid and acute
| Word | Shade of meaning |
|---|---|
| Eager | Very close; eager stresses impatience to begin |
| Enthusiastic | Stresses visible excitement and energy |
| Interested | Milder; you can be interested without being keen |
| Avid | Used for hobbies, like an avid reader; stronger habit |
| Acute | Overlaps with keen senses, but also used for illness and problems |
See our page on acute for its medical and everyday senses. A person who is keen and persistent over the long term shows diligent effort.
Small errors learners make
Avoid "keen in" when you mean liking: say "keen on cricket," not "keen in cricket." Avoid "keen of." Do not use "keen to" with a noun: "keen to the idea" should be "keen on the idea." Also remember that "peachy keen" is an old-fashioned American slang phrase meaning "great," now used mostly in jokes. For more words you will use daily, browse everyday vocabulary.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of keen in simple words?
Keen usually means eager or very interested. It can also mean sharp, as in a keen mind, keen eyesight or a keen knife.
Is keen a positive word?
Mostly yes. Being keen suggests energy and willingness. Very rarely, "a bit too keen" hints that someone is trying too hard.
What is the difference between keen on and keen to?
Keen on goes with things and activities you like: keen on chess, keen on cooking. Keen to is followed by a verb and means you want to do it.
What does a keen eye mean?
It means the ability to notice small details quickly. A designer with a keen eye spots a misaligned line that others miss.
What does keen mean as a verb?
Used as a verb, keen means to wail or cry loudly in grief, especially in traditional Irish mourning. It comes from an Irish word and is not related to the adjective.
Is keen British or American?
Both use it, but the eager sense, especially keen on, sounds more British. Americans more often say eager, excited or into something.