Keen vs Strive - What's the difference?
keen | strive |
In obsolete|lang=en terms the difference between keen and strive is that keen is (obsolete) brave, courageous; bold, audacious while strive is (obsolete) strife; contention. As verbs the difference between keen and strive is that keen is (rare) to sharpen; to make cold or keen can be to utter a keen while strive is to try to achieve a result; to make strenuous effort; to try earnestly and persistently. As nouns the difference between keen and strive is that keen is a prolonged wail for a deceased person while strive is (obsolete) an effort; a striving. 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
*
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strive English
Verb
To try to achieve a result; to make strenuous effort; to try earnestly and persistently.
- He strove to excel.
To struggle in opposition; to be in contention or dispute; to contend; to contest.
- to strive against fate
- to strive for the truth
* Denham
- Now private pity strove with public hate, / Reason with rage, and eloquence with fate.
To vie; to compete as a rival.
* Milton
- [Not] that sweet grove / Of Daphne, by Orontes and the inspired / Castalian spring, might with this paradise / Of Eden strive .
Usage notes
* This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See
* The strong or irregular forms "strove" and "striven" are more commonly used in print than "strived".
Related terms
* (l)
Noun
( en noun)
(obsolete) An effort; a striving.
- (Chapman)
(obsolete) strife; contention
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External links
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