Antonyms for keen
kinkeen

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 1 vote

1. keen

   Acute, from the Latin, suggests the sharpness of the needle's point; keen, from the Saxon, the sharpness of the cutting edge. Astute, from the Latin, with the original sense of cunning has come to have a meaning that combines the sense of acute or keen with that of sagacious. The astute mind adds to acuteness and keenness an element of cunning or finesse. The astute debater leads his opponents into a snare by getting them to make admissions, or urge arguments, of which he sees a result that they do not perceive. The acute, keen intellect may take no special advantage of these qualities; the astute mind has always a point to make for itself, and seldom fails to make it. A knowing look, air, etc., in general indicates practical knowledge with a touch of shrewdness, and perhaps of cunning; in regard to some special matter, it indicates the possession of reserved knowledge which the person could impart if he chose. Knowing has often a slightly invidious sense. We speak of a knowing rascal, meaning cunning or shrewd within a narrow range, but of a knowing horse or dog, in the sense of sagacious, implying that he knows more than could be expected of such an animal. A knowing child has more knowledge than would be looked for at his years, perhaps more than is quite desirable, while to speak of a child as intelligent is altogether complimentary.

   Antonyms:
   blind, dull, idiotic, imbecile, shallow, short-sighted, stolid, stupid, undiscerning, unintelligent

   Synonyms:
   acute, astute, clear-sighted, crafty, cunning, discerning, discriminating, knowing, penetrating, penetrative, perspicacious, sagacious, sharp, shrewd, subtile, subtle

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. keen

   Antonyms:
   indifferent, languid, blunt, dull, blind

   Synonyms:
   eager, vehement, sharp, piercing, penetrating, acute, cutting, biting, severe, sarcastic, satirical, ardent, prompt, shrewd

Matched Categories

1. • Express Emotion

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:3.8 / 19 votes

1. keenadjective

   a funeral lament sung with loud wailing

   Antonyms:
   dull, unperceiving, mild, unperceptive, bad

2. acute, discriminating, incisive, keen, knifelike, penetrating, penetrative, piercing, sharpadjective

   having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

   "an acute observer of politics and politicians"; "incisive comments"; "icy knifelike reasoning"; "as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang"; "penetrating insight"; "frequent penetrative observations"

   Antonyms:
   dull, bad, mild, unperceiving, unperceptive

   Synonyms:
   intense, penetrative, discriminating, shrill, neat, sharp, shrewd, lancinating, nifty, sharp-worded, not bad(p), bang-up, astute, incisive, acuate, dandy, tart, smashing, cutting, bully, precipitous, needlelike, slap-up, abrupt, lancinate, knifelike, corking, exquisite, groovy, great, acute, piercing, penetrating, swell, cracking, crisp, stabbing, peachy

3. exquisite, keenadjective

   intense or sharp

   "suffered exquisite pain"; "felt exquisite pleasure"

   Antonyms:
   dull, unperceptive, mild, unperceiving, bad

   Synonyms:
   incisive, slap-up, cracking, neat, sharp, lancinating, dainty, cutting, swell, knifelike, great, nifty, not bad(p), discriminating, bang-up, smashing, groovy, acute, corking, penetrating, recherche, exquisite, lancinate, piercing, bully, dandy, peachy, stabbing, penetrative

4. bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad(p), peachy, slap-up, swell, smashingadjective

   very good

   "he did a bully job"; "a neat sports car"; "had a great time at the party"; "you look simply smashing"

   Antonyms:
   dull, mild, unperceiving, unperceptive, bad

5. cutting, keen, knifelike, piercing, stabbing, lancinate, lancinatingadjective

   painful as if caused by a sharp instrument

   "a cutting wind"; "keen winds"; "knifelike cold"; "piercing knifelike pains"; "piercing cold"; "piercing criticism"; "a stabbing pain"; "lancinating pain"

   Antonyms:
   dull, bad, unperceptive, unperceiving, mild

   Synonyms:
   slap-up, cracking, neat, sharp, lancinating, wounding, incisive, cutting, peachy, swell, knifelike, corking, bully, dandy, nifty, smashing, not bad(p), raw, discriminating, bang-up, acute, groovy, lancinate, stinging, edged, exquisite, penetrating, piercing, bleak, great, stabbing, penetrative

6. keenverb

   having a sharp cutting edge or point

   "a keen blade"

   Antonyms:
   dull, bad, unperceptive, unperceiving, mild

   Synonyms:
   slap-up, cracking, neat, sharp, lancinating, incisive, cutting, swell, knifelike, great, nifty, not bad(p), discriminating, bang-up, smashing, groovy, acute, corking, penetrating, exquisite, lancinate, piercing, bully, dandy, peachy, stabbing, penetrative

7. lament, keenverb

   express grief verbally

   "we lamented the death of the child"

   Antonyms:
   dull, mild, bad, unperceiving, unperceptive

   Synonyms:
   lament, deplore, bemoan, bewail

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. keenadjective

   Synonyms:
   sharp, acute, trenchant, penetrating, shrewd, astute, discerning, piercing, poignant, excruciating, a crimonious, mordacious, bitter, intense, severe, eager, ardent, ravenous, vehement

How to use keen in a sentence?

1. Gotz Aly:

   With Germany’s financial situation worsening by the day, the Nazi leadership in Berlin was keen to forge ahead with its annexation of Czechoslovakia and its domestic pogroms against Jews. The state treasury needed more money. Despite various accounting tricks, the government was just barely avoiding bankruptcy; if nothing was done, Germany’s financial problems would quickly be laid bare. The only hope was to go on the offensive.

2. Naoki Tashiro:

   The rate cut clearly showed the Chinese authorities are very much keen to support the economy. So even though Chinese economic data has been pretty weak, investors are convinced that there will be no hard landing.

3. Thomas Merton:

   The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another

4. The Briton:

   Up to now it’s been Lewis is going to be on pole and Lewis is going to lead from the start to the end and that’s it. Nobody’s that excited about it. I ’m keen now to watch all of practices and all the races, if you said to me ‘ I’ve got to sell the house and put all the money on one of them, what would you do ? ’ I ’d say I ’d probably go and play roulette, because anything can happen.

5. Melanie Curtis:

   They had a finance deal lined up which was very satisfactory before (the vote), the terms have gotten harder now, they are not particularly keen on them. I don't think they would go ahead on that basis.

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