Keen vs. Unkeen

Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.

Example: ‘I’m keen about computers.’; ‘He is keen for help.’; ‘She’s keen to learn another language.’; ‘“Do you want to go on holiday with me?” / “Yes, I’m keen.”’;

Fierce, intense, vehement.

Example: ‘This boy has a keen appetite.’;

Having a fine edge or point; sharp.

Acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp.

Acrimonious, bitter, piercing.

Example: ‘keen satire or sarcasm’;

Of cold, wind, etc.: cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp.

Example: ‘a keen wind’; ‘the cold is very keen’;

(Britain) Extremely low as to be competitive.

Example: ‘keen prices’;

Marvelous.

Example: ‘I just got this peachy keen new dress.’;

(obsolete) Brave, courageous; audacious, bold.

To make cold, to sharpen.

(intransitive) To utter a keen.

(transitive) To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.

(transitive) To mourn.

A prolonged wail for a deceased person.

Sharp; having a fine edge or point; as, a keen razor, or a razor with a keen edge.

Example: ‘A bow he bare and arwes [arrows] bright and kene.’; ‘That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.’;

Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features.

Example: ‘To make our wits more keen.’; ‘Before the keen inquiry of her thought.’;

Bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.

Example: ‘Good father cardinal, cry thou amenTo my keen curses.’;

Piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; - applied to cold, wind, etc.; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.

Example: ‘Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.’;

Eager; vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite.

Example: ‘So keen and greedy to confound a man.’;

Wonderful; delightful; marvelous; as, that would be keen.

To sharpen; to make cold.

Example: ‘Cold winter keens the brightening flood.’;

To wail as a keener does.

A prolonged wail for a deceased person. Cf. Coranach.

a funeral lament sung with loud wailing

express grief verbally;

Example: ‘we lamented the death of the child’;

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions;

Example: ‘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’;

intense or sharp;

Example: ‘suffered exquisite pain’; ‘felt exquisite pleasure’;

very penetrating and clear and sharp in operation;

Example: ‘an incisive mind’; ‘a keen intelligence’; ‘of sharp and active intellect’;

very good;

Example: ‘he did a bully job’; ‘a neat sports car’; ‘had a great time at the party’; ‘you look simply smashing’;

as physically painful as if caused by a sharp instrument;

Example: ‘a cutting wind’; ‘keen winds’; ‘knifelike cold’; ‘piercing knifelike pains’; ‘piercing cold’; ‘piercing criticism’; ‘a stabbing pain’; ‘lancinating pain’;

having a sharp cutting edge or point;

Example: ‘a keen blade’;

having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm

Example: ‘a keen gardener’; ‘John was keen to help’;

interested in or attracted by (someone or something)

Example: ‘Bob makes it obvious he's keen on her’;

(of a sense) highly developed

Example: ‘I have keen eyesight’;

having or showing great perception or insight

Example: ‘a keen understanding of animal psychology’; ‘her keen intellect’;

(of the edge or point of a blade) sharp

Example: ‘the keen blade went through the weeds’;

(of the air or wind) extremely cold; biting

Example: ‘a keen wind cut through their thick overalls’;

(of a smell, light, or sound) penetrating; clear

Example: ‘ear-splitting explosive bursts, keen and sharp’;

(of activity or feeling) intense

Example: ‘there could be keen competition to provide the service’;

(of prices) very low; competitive

Example: ‘we offer extremely keen rates’;

excellent

Example: ‘I would soon fly to distant stars—how keen!’;

wail in grief for a dead person

Example: ‘the body of Johnny was taken by his own people who keened over him’; ‘their keening womenfolk’;

make an eerie wailing sound

Example: ‘the keening of the cold night wind’;

an Irish funeral song accompanied by wailing in lamentation for the dead.

Not keen, lacking in enthusiasm or motivation.