Synonyms for keen
- adjective
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Astute — acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp
astute, sharp, shrewd, clever, smart, quick, acute, intense, penetrating, sagacious formal, sharp-witted, clear, brilliant, perceptive, sharp-sighted, piquant, talented, active, wise, discerning, intelligent, perspicacious
2. Eager — often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive, showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or…
eager, ardent, enthusiastic, avid, excited, zealous, fervent, prompt, earnest, vehement, warm, raring, fervid, hot on informal, hearty, fain dated
3. Neat
great, gurt UK, not bad, fine, neat, peachy, old, bang-up informal, dandy, slap-up informal, cracking, groovy, swell, smashing, corking, nifty informal dated
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.
She’s keen to learn another language.
- adj. 2
Acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp.
- adj. 3
Acrimonious, bitter, piercing.
- adj. 4
Fierce, intense, vehement.
This boy has a keen appetite.
Related words
- Word family
- keenly keenness keen-witted keener
Choose the right word
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.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- intense She was as intense in her hatreds as in her loves.
- clever The dog was so clever that he seemed almost human.
- shrewd I know that Tom is a very shrewd businessman.
- astute Tom was an astute businessman who made a lot of money.
- eager Tom said that he was eager to eat lunch with Mary.
- ardent He went abroad in opposition to her ardent wishes.
By length
- 3 letters
- old1
- 4 letters
- fine1, warm1, wise1, neat1, avid2, fain1, gurt
- 5 letters
- great1, clear1, quick1, smart1, sharp1, acute2, eager2, swell1, dandy2, nifty2
- 6 letters
- active2, clever2, prompt1, biting2, hearty2, ardent2, astute2, shrewd1, groovy2, peachy2, raring, fervid2
- 7 letters
- excited3, cutting2, intense2, earnest2, zealous2, fervent2, piquant2, corking2
- 8 letters
- talented3, cracking2, smashing2, piercing2, vehement3
- 9 letters
- brilliant2, exquisite3, sagacious
- 10 letters
- perceptive3, discerning3
- 11 letters
- intelligent4, penetrating4
- 12 letters
- enthusiastic5
- 13 letters
- perspicacious4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (avid2 = 2 syllables).