Keen vs Cordial - What's the difference?
keen | cordial |
showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense.
vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite.
* (rfdate),
* (rfdate), Shakespeare
sharp; having a fine edge or point.
* (rfdate) :
acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness.
* (rfdate),
* (rfdate),
bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.
* (rfdate)
piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc,; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
* (rfdate),
Enthusiastic
(US, informal, dated) Marvelous.
(UK) extremely low as to be competitive.
(obsolete) brave, courageous; bold, audacious.
(rare) To sharpen; to make cold.
* (rfdate), Thomson.
To utter a keen.
* (rfdate) Stuart Howard-Jones (1904-1974), Hibernia.'' Collected in ''The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse, 1978.
To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
*
To mourn.
*
Hearty; sincere; warm; affectionate.
* 1667 , '', 1859, Thomas Keightley (editor), ''The Poems of John Milton , Volume 1,
* 1885 , George Washington Schuyler, Colonial New York: Philip Schuyler and His Family , C. Scribner's Sons,
Said of someone radiating warmth and friendliness; genial.
* 1869 , ,
(rare) Tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate; giving strength or spirits.
* 1634 , (editor), ''The Poetical Works of John Milton , Volume 3,
(obsolete) Proceeding from the heart.
* 1667 , '', 1957, Merritt Yerkes Hughes (editor), ''Complete Poems and Major Prose ,
(UK, AU, NZ) A concentrated noncarbonated soft drink which is diluted with water before drinking.
(UK, AU, NZ) An individual serving of such a diluted drink.
A pleasant-tasting medicine.
A liqueur prepared using the infusion process.
* 1728 , '', Act III, Scene 1, in 1828, ''British Theatre, Comprising Tragedies, Comedies, Operas, and Farces ,
* 1908 , Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables , L. C. Page & Co.
A candy (or bonbon) usually made of milk chocolate, filled with small fruits (often maraschino cherries) and syrup or fondant.
In obsolete|lang=en terms the difference between keen and cordial
is that keen is (obsolete) brave, courageous; bold, audacious while cordial is (obsolete) proceeding from the heart.In rare|lang=en terms the difference between keen and cordial
is that keen is (rare) to sharpen; to make cold while cordial is (rare) tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate; giving strength or spirits.As adjectives the difference between keen and cordial
is that keen is showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense while cordial is hearty; sincere; warm; affectionate.As nouns the difference between keen and cordial
is that keen is a prolonged wail for a deceased person while cordial is (uk|au|nz) a concentrated noncarbonated soft drink which is diluted with water before drinking.As a verb keen
is (rare) to sharpen; to make cold or keen can be to utter a keen.keen
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) . More at (l), (l).Alternative forms
* keene, kene (archaic)Adjective
(er)- Of full keen will.
- So keen and greedy to confound a man.
- That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.
- To make our wits more keen .
- Before the keen inquiry of her thought.
- Good father cardinal, cry thou amen to my keen curses.
- Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.
- I'm keen to learn another language.
- I'm keen on learning another language.
- I'm keen on languages.
- I'm keen about learning languages.
- I'm keen for help.
- ''"Do you want to learn another language?" / "I'm keen ."
- I just got this peachy keen new dress.
- keen prices
Usage notes
* 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.Synonyms
* prompt; eager; ardent; sharp; acute; cutting; penetrating; biting; severe; sarcastic; satirical; piercing; shrewd. * See alsoDerived terms
* keen-witted * keen as mustard * keen on * keenly * keennessVerb
(en verb)- Cold winter keens the brightening flood.
Etymology 2
From (etyl) .Verb
(en verb)- Keen —meaning 'brisk'? Nay, here the Language warps:
'Tis singing bawdy Ballads to a Corpse.
Anagrams
* ----cordial
English
(wikipedia cordial)Adjective
(en adjective)page 381,
- He, on his side / Leaning half raised, with looks of cordial love / Hung over her enamoured.
- The relations between the Earl of Bellomont and Colonel Schuyler were formal, but not cordial from the first.
- The sight of London warmed my heart with various emotions, such as a cordial man must draw from the heart of all humanity.
page 106,
- And first behold this cordial julep here / That flames and dances in his crystal bounds, / With spirits of balm, and fragrant syrups mix'd.
page 373,
- Who stooping op'n'd my left side, and took / From thence a Rib with cordial spirits warm, / And Life-blood streaming fresh;
Synonyms
* heartfelt * (radiating warmth and friendliness) affable, amiable * (tending to revive) cheering, invigoratingNoun
(en noun)827,
- Lucy . But, miss Polly—in the way of friendship, will you give me leave to propose a glass of cordial to you ?
- Polly . Strong waters are apt to give me the headache.—I hope, madam, you will excuse me?
- [Marilla] had put the bottle of raspberry cordial down in the cellar instead of in the closet [...].
