Word: keen (adjective)

Associations

"Keen" means very eager, enthusiastic, or sharp in some way (like sharp senses or strong feelings).

• She is keen to learn new languages. (She is very eager.)
• He has a keen sense of smell. (His sense of smell is very sharp.)
• They showed keen interest in the project. (They were very enthusiastic or interested.) A well-known synonym is "eager," but "keen" can also mean sharp or intense, while "eager" mostly means excited or wanting something.

Substitution

You can replace "keen" with:

• eager (when talking about wanting or interest): "She is eager to learn."
• sharp (when talking about senses or intelligence): "He has a sharp mind."
• enthusiastic (when talking about feelings): "They are enthusiastic about the project." Each word changes the tone a bit: "keen" can be both about sharpness and eagerness, while others are more specific.

Deconstruction

The word "keen" comes from Old English "cene," meaning brave or bold. Over time, it also took the meaning of sharp or intense. It is a simple adjective without prefixes or suffixes.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you felt keen about doing something? What was it?
• How would you describe a keen sense, like hearing or sight, in your own words?
• Can you use "keen" to describe a person’s attitude or a physical object? How?