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Keen vs Passion - What's the difference?

keen | passion |

In obsolete terms the difference between keen and passion

is that keen is brave, courageous; bold, audacious while passion is to suffer pain or sorrow; to experience a passion; to be extremely agitated.

In transitive terms the difference between keen and passion

is that keen is to mourn while passion is to give a passionate character to.

As verbs the difference between keen and passion

is that keen is to sharpen; to make cold while passion is to suffer pain or sorrow; to experience a passion; to be extremely agitated.

As nouns the difference between keen and passion

is that keen is a prolonged wail for a deceased person while passion is any great, strong, powerful emotion, especially romantic love or hate.

As an adjective keen

is showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense.

keen

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at (l), (l).

Alternative forms

* keene, kene (archaic)

Adjective

(er)
  • showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense.
  • vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite.
  • * (rfdate),
    • Of full keen will.
  • * (rfdate), Shakespeare
    • So keen and greedy to confound a man.
  • sharp; having a fine edge or point.
  • * (rfdate) :
    • That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.
  • acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness.
  • * (rfdate),
    • To make our wits more keen .
  • * (rfdate),
    • Before the keen inquiry of her thought.
  • bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.
  • * (rfdate)
    • Good father cardinal, cry thou amen to my keen curses.
  • piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc,; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
  • * (rfdate),
    • Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.
  • Enthusiastic
    • 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 ."
  • (US, informal, dated) Marvelous.
    • I just got this peachy keen new dress.
  • (UK) extremely low as to be competitive.
    • keen prices
  • (obsolete) brave, courageous; bold, audacious.
    • 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 also
    Derived terms
    * keen-witted * keen as mustard * keen on * keenly * keenness

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (rare) To sharpen; to make cold.
  • * (rfdate), Thomson.
    • Cold winter keens the brightening flood.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A prolonged wail for a deceased person.
  • * '>citation

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To utter a keen.
  • * (rfdate) Stuart Howard-Jones (1904-1974), Hibernia.'' Collected in ''The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse, 1978.
    • Keen —meaning 'brisk'? Nay, here the Language warps:
    'Tis singing bawdy Ballads to a Corpse.
  • To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
  • *
  • To mourn.
  • *
    • Related terms
    * keener * keeness

    Anagrams

    * ----

    passion

    English

    Noun

  • Any great, strong, powerful emotion, especially romantic love or hate.
    • We share a passion for books.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 16 , author=Saj Chowdhury , title=Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=That was partly because of a swirling wind that made precision passing difficult and also a derby atmosphere where the emphasis seemed to be on passion rather than football.}}
  • Fervor, determination.
  • An object of passionate or romantic love or strong romantic interest.
    • It started as a hobby, but now my motorbike collection has become my passion .
  • sexual intercourse, especially when very emotional
    • We shared a night of passion .
  • The suffering of Jesus leading up to and during his crucifixion.
  • A play, musical composition or display meant to commemorate the suffering of Jesus.
  • (obsolete) Suffering or enduring of imposed or inflicted pain; any suffering or distress.
    • a cardiac passion
  • * Wyclif Bible (Rom. viii. 18)
    • the passions of this time
  • (obsolete) The state of being acted upon; subjection to an external agent or influence; a passive condition; opposed to action .
  • * John Locke
    • A body at rest affords us no idea of any active power to move, and, when set is motion, it is rather a passion than an action in it.
  • (obsolete) Capacity of being affected by external agents; susceptibility of impressions from external agents.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • mouldable and not mouldable, scissible and not scissible, and many other passions of matter
  • (obsolete) An innate quality, property, or attribute of a thing.
    • to obtain the knowledge of some passion of the circle. (rfex)
  • (obsolete) Disorder of the mind; madness.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Synonyms

    * ardor, fire in the belly, zeal

    Derived terms

    * passionflower * passion fruit, passionfruit * Passion Sunday * pash * passion pop

    Related terms

    * passionate * passive * passivity * patience * patient

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To suffer pain or sorrow; to experience a passion; to be extremely agitated.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Dumbly she passions , frantically she doteth.
  • To give a passionate character to.
    • (Keats)

    References

    * ----