Crossword clues for keenest
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Keen \Keen\ (k[=e]n), a. [Compar. Keener (k[=e]n"[~e]r); superl. Keenest.] [OE. kene sharp, bold, AS. c[=e]ne bold; akin to D. koen, OHG. kuoni, G. k["u]hn, OSw. kyn, k["o]n, Icel. k[ae]nn, for k[oe]nn wise; perh. akin to E. ken, can to be able. [root]45.]
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Sharp; having a fine edge or point; as, a keen razor, or a razor with a keen edge.
A bow he bare and arwes [arrows] bright and kene.
--Chaucer.That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.
--Shak. -
Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features.
To make our wits more keen.
--Shak.Before the keen inquiry of her thought.
--Cowper. -
Bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.
Good father cardinal, cry thou amen To my keen curses.
--Shak. -
Piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc.; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.
--Goldsmith. -
Eager; vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite. ``Of full kene will.''
--Piers Plowman.So keen and greedy to confound a man.
--Shak. -
Wonderful; delightful; marvelous; as, that would be keen.
Note: Keen is often used in the composition of words, most of which are of obvious signification; as, keen-edged, keen-eyed, keen-sighted, keen-witted, etc.
Syn: Prompt; eager; ardent; sharp; acute; cutting; penetrating; biting; severe; sarcastic; satirical; piercing; shrewd.
Wiktionary
a. (en-superlative of: keen)
Usage examples of "keenest".
Sir Nigel Loring and Sir Oliver Buttesthorn at once hung their shields over the side, and displayed their pennons as was the custom, noting with the keenest interest the answering symbols which told the names of the cavaliers who had been constrained by ill health or wounds to leave the prince at so critical a time.
But an event soon afterwards occurred which awakened his keenest interest.
A flag at her mast-head fluttered in the breeze, and towards this the two officers, with the keenest attention, respectively adjusted their focus.
He inspected every part of the device, even unsheathing the infrasonic blade, which he gave the keenest scrutiny.
He has quite the keenest intellect on board and a marvelous capacity for work.
As was natural with such men not one of them would own that he was exhausted, and in consequence it was only by paying the keenest attention that he could detect those who from sheer incapacity were relaxing their strain on the traces.
Greatest of all the musters, however, was that of Twynham Castle, for the name and the fame of Sir Nigel Loring drew towards him the keenest and boldest spirits, all eager to serve under so valiant a leader.
A course between such men would have been enough in itself to cause the keenest interest, apart from its being the crisis which would decide who should be the victors of the day.
The second course was so equal that the keenest judges could not discern any vantage.
I reminded myself that the keenest sufferings have their place of sanctuary, that one can always, when all else fails, find repose.
Every success of the Federal armies and every defeat of the Confederate forces was watched with the keenest and most intense interest.