keen

Word family  noun keenness adjective keen adverb keenly

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++keen1 /kiːn/ ●●○ S3 W3 adjective  1  want STH 想要某物 especially British English wanting to do something or wanting something to happen very much 热衷的，渴望的，热切的 SYN eagerkeen to do something He told me that he was keen to help. 他告诉我说他很想帮忙。keen on doing something I wasn’t keen on going there on my own. 我不想一个人去那里。keen for something to happen The government is keen for peace talks to start again. 政府渴望重启和平会谈。keen that The chairman is keen that the company should expand its product range. 董事长非常希望公司能够增加产品种类。2  LIKE 喜欢be keen on somebody/something British English spoken to like someone or something 喜欢某人/某物 I’m not keen on cabbage. 我不喜欢吃卷心菜。not too/not very/not that keen on something She likes Biology, but she’s not too keen on Physics. 她喜欢生物学，但不太喜欢物理。 My flatmates want to have a party, but I’m not keen on the idea. 我同公寓的室友想办个派对，但我却不喜欢这个主意。3  hobby/interest 爱好/兴趣 especially British EnglishENJOY/LIKE DOING somethingENTHUSIASTIC someone who is keen on something is very interested in it or enjoys doing it very much 着迷的，有强烈兴趣的 a keen photographer 一个摄影迷 keen golfers 热衷于打高尔夫球的人keen on Daniel’s very keen on tennis. 丹尼尔酷爱网球。mad keen on something (=very keen on something) spoken 极其喜爱某事物 I was mad keen on dinosaurs when I was little. 我小时候对恐龙非常着迷。 She takes a keen interest in politics and current affairs. 她对政治和时事极感兴趣。4  eager to work/learn 渴望工作/学习 someone who is keen is eager to work or learn, and enjoys doing it 〔对工作或学习〕渴望的，热衷的 keen students 求知若渴的学生 The kids in my class are all very keen. 我班上的学生都很好学。 She was new in the job and keen as mustard (=very keen). 她刚开始做这工作，热情很高。5  sight/smell/hearing 视力/嗅觉/听觉GOOD/EXCELLENT a keen sense of smell or keen sight or hearing is an extremely good ability to smell etc 灵敏的，敏锐的 Dogs have a very keen sense of smell. 狗的嗅觉十分灵敏。 She has a keen eye for (=is good at noticing) talent. 她擅于发掘人才。6  mind 思维能力INTELLIGENT someone with a keen mind is quick to understand things 敏捷的，敏锐的 a keen understanding of commerce 对商业敏锐的理解力 With her keen mind and good business sense, she soon became noticed. 凭着敏捷的思维和良好的商业头脑，她不久就引起了注意。7  feeling 感觉 a keen feeling is one that is strong and deep 强烈的；深厚的 As she walked away, Joe felt a keen sense of loss. 她走了，乔感到一阵强烈的失落感。8  competition 竞争COMPETE WITH/TRY TO BEAT used to describe a situation in which people compete strongly 激烈的 We won the contest in the face of keen competition. 面对激烈的竞争，我们还是赢得了比赛。9. ATTRACTED 着迷的be keen on somebody British EnglishLIKE somebody OR something to be sexually attracted to someone 对某人十分着迷10. sharp 锋利的 literarySHARP a keen knife or blade is extremely sharp 〔刀、刃〕锋利的11. wind 风 old-fashionedCOLD a keen wind is cold and strong 寒冷刺骨的12. prices 价格 British English keen prices are low 低廉的 —keenly adverb I was keenly aware of the dangers. 我深知其危险。 —keenness noun [uncountable]n GrammarYou are keen on something or keen on doing something: We’re all very keen on sports. ✗Don’t say: We’re all very keen of sports.

Examples from the Corpus

keen• She hasn't much experience but she's very keen.• Goethe was a keen amateur geologist.• Sam was also a keen and talented naturalist.• He had a keen brain and he spotted instantly that as addresses went this one was on the vague side.• a keen eye for detail• Parr's thin, keen face had narrowed, strangely.• a keen interest in science• Greg has a keen mind.• If you're so bloody keen on accuracy, let's be accurate about this.• There are plenty of after-school opportunities for people who are keen on athletics.• He remained keen on jiving and would throw himself all over the place, hair wild and eyes sparkling.• They are also quite keen on marijuana, feel most masculine during sport and are least inclined to admire Nigel Mansell.• My parents have always been keen on travelling, whenever they get the chance.• Chris is a keen photographer - he's won several competitions.• Paul, a keen sportsman, prided himself on his level of fitness.• Originally from Plymouth, she was a very keen squash and tennis player before suffering a knee injury at skiing.• Coming from the disciplines of law, economics and politics, they were all keen supporters of the consumer movement.• Gabby was obviously anxious to do well, and Jane was keen to help her.keen that• We were keen that a comprehensive district based service must be provided.• These days judges are keen that children should see and remain close to both parents after divorce.• Alexis and Paul Gilmour are keen that everyone in Holybourne who wishes to sign the petition can do so.• Everyone was really keen that I should enjoy their area and I certainly did.• The author was keen that neither himself nor his readership should be considered prejudiced.• She is equally keen that they should have black role-models.• The Department of Health is also keen that this formula should be used as the basis for sub-regional distribution.a keen interest in• He has a keen interest in contemporary music and is a founder member of the ensemble Capricorn.• Surprisingly, modelling is not a career Chantelle wants to follow, expressing instead a keen interest in learning languages.• He has a keen interest in popular music and the developing laws and rights in respect of musical performers and songwriters.• Bodnar took a keen interest in the appearance of various samples.• They took a keen interest in the color and the appearance of the brickwork on the building.• Hardy took a keen interest in their production, although, with two exceptions, the plays themselves were not his work.• Some people have expressed surprise at learning the U. S. Chamber of Commerce is taking such a keen interest in welfare reform.keen as mustard• Sharp, hungry, keen as mustard.• He was as keen as mustard, and as Doctor Faustus.a keen eye for• But with being a keen golfer, I developed a keen eye for a golf ball and a distance.• First, each has a keen eye for talent.a keen sense of• But she too had a keen sense of making the best of whatever was given.• But his good-ore-boy mannerisms hide a keen sense of opportunity.• By all accounts, Rajoub is a pragmatist with a keen sense of planning and organization.• Now he showed a keen sense of priorities, and, as vital, an ability to delegate.• She was mourned both for who she was and what she represented-a passionate idealism grounded in a keen sense of reality.• We feel a keen sense of responsibility for the sick and needy.• Alexander, of course, had a keen sense of the value of my commentary.• There is a third eyelid for a keen sense of vision.keen competition• Within seconds, though, I felt a keen competition.• Both sales saw keen competition for the more interesting lots.• Early impressions suggest that there could be keen competition to provide such a service - if the money can be found!keen2 verb [intransitive]  old useSAD/UNHAPPY to sing a loud sad song for someone who has died 〔为死者〕哀歌，唱挽歌→ See Verb tableFrom Longman Business Dictionarykeenkeen /kiːn/ adjective1if competition is keen, people are trying very hard to get an advantage over others doing the same thingBusiness has become scarcer, competition keener and profit margins slimmer.These properties are likely to attractkeen bidding in a buoyant property market. —keenly adverbthe keenly-competitive pasta sauce market2British English keen prices, rates etc are low when compared to competitors’ prices etcLondon’s present system provideskeen prices for actively traded stocks.the opportunity to achieve the keenest interest rates3if someone is keen, they are very eager or interested in doing somethingInvestors already have shown keen interest in the $100 million issue.keen onJapanese investors are keen on obtaining more foreign assets.keen to do somethingThe Swiss group is said to be keen to buy a stake in the company. —keenly adverbHe is keenly interested in a possible deal.Origin keen Old English cene

keen1 adjective →n GRAMMAR1keen2 verbLDOCE OnlineChinese  

do Corpus to something wanting happen wanting Business or something to

keen

I

keen¹ S3 W3 /kiːn/ adjective1.  WANT SOMETHING especially British English wanting to do something or wanting something to happen very much
   SYN  eager
    keen to do something
    He told me that he was keen to help.
    keen on doing something
    I wasn’t keen on going there on my own.
    keen for something to happen
    The government is keen for peace talks to start again.
    keen that
    The chairman is keen that the company should expand its product range.
2.  LIKE be keen on somebody/something British English spoken to like someone or something:
    I’m not keen on cabbage.
    not too/not very/not that keen on something
    She likes Biology, but she’s not too keen on Physics.
    My flatmates want to have a party, but I’m not keen on the idea.
3.  HOBBY/INTEREST especially British English someone who is keen on something is very interested in it or enjoys doing it very much:
    a keen photographer
    keen golfers
    keen on
    Daniel’s very keen on tennis.
    mad keen on something (=very keen on something) spoken:
    I was mad keen on dinosaurs when I was little.
    She takes a keen interest in politics and current affairs.
4.  EAGER TO WORK/LEARN someone who is keen is eager to work or learn, and enjoys doing it:
    keen students
    The kids in my class are all very keen.
    She was new in the job and keen as mustard (=very keen).
5.  SIGHT/SMELL/HEARING a keen sense of smell or keen sight or hearing is an extremely good ability to smell etc:
    Dogs have a very keen sense of smell.
    She has a keen eye for (=is good at noticing) talent.
6.  MIND someone with a keen mind is quick to understand things:
    a keen understanding of commerce
    With her keen mind and good business sense, she soon became noticed.
7.  FEELING a keen feeling is one that is strong and deep:
    As she walked away, Joe felt a keen sense of loss.
8.  COMPETITION used to describe a situation in which people compete strongly:
    We won the contest in the face of keen competition.
9.  ATTRACTED British Englishbe keen on somebody to be sexually attracted to someone
10.  SHARP literary a keen knife or blade is extremely sharp
11.  WIND old-fashioned a keen wind is cold and strong
12.  PRICES British English keen prices are low
—keenly adverb:
    I was keenly aware of the dangers.
—keenness noun [uncountable]
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ enthusiastic feeling or showing a lot of interest or excitement about something: He’s really enthusiastic about his new job. | An enthusiastic crowd cheered the team onto the pitch.
   ▪ eager wanting to do something or know about something very soon: He was eager to hear every detail of her day. | She was always eager for her turn on the catwalk. | The room was full of eager young faces. | We waited in eager anticipation.
   ▪ keen eager to work or learn: She hasn’t much experience but she’s very keen. | John was a keen student who worked very hard.
   ▪ zealous doing something in a very enthusiastic way, especially supporting something or making sure that people obey rules : She was a zealous supporter of the revolution. | The company has been extremely zealous in defending its interests. | Officials have been very zealous in the application of the new regulations.
   ▪ avid [only before noun] written used when you want to emphasize that someone does something a lot or is very interested in something: an avid golfer | She was an avid reader all her life. | I’ve become an avid collector of his work. | Henry is an avid fan of the sport. | As a schoolboy he had an avid interest in birds.
   ▪ fervent written believing or feeling something very strongly and sincerely: Galinsoga was one of Franco’s most fervent supporters. | One of Allen 's fervent admirers was Richard Nixon. | her fervent belief in promoting the work of good women artists
   ▪ be mad about something British English informal to like something very much and be very interested in it: My sister’s mad about horses. | Since you’re so mad about clothes, you can help me choose a wedding dress.
   ▪ can’t wait to do something to be very eager to do something: I can’t wait to get started.
   ▪ be looking forward to something to feel pleased and excited because you know that something is going to happen soon: I’m looking forward to the vacation.

II

keen² verb [intransitive]
old use to sing a loud sad song for someone who has died