keener
keener Lexical Profile
keener Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
More perceptive, mentally sharp, or acute in the senses.
"With her keener eye for detail, she immediately spotted the flaw in the architectural blueprint."
More eager, enthusiastic, or interested in something.
"The younger students were much keener to participate in the science fair than the seniors."
Having a sharper cutting edge or point, or being more biting and intense (as of wind or cold).
"As they climbed higher up the ridge, a keener wind blew across the exposed rock."
• noun
Canadian A person who is extremely or excessively eager, enthusiastic, or diligent, especially a student or employee trying to win favor or excel.
"Only a real keener would finish the entire semester's reading list before the first day of class."
Irish A person, traditionally a woman in Ireland, who wails or sings a lamentation in grief for a deceased person at a wake or funeral.
"In traditional rural wakes, elderly keeners would gather around the bier to chant sorrowful verses for the departed."
• Rhymes for keener
Word Origin & Etymology
This word represents two distinct linguistic roots: the comparative adjective and the Canadian slang noun derive from Old English 'cēne' (meaning bold, sharp, or eager), whereas the noun referring to a funeral mourner derives from the Irish 'caoinim' (meaning to weep or wail).