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Keen vs Strong - What's the difference?

keen | strong |

Strong is a synonym of keen.



As adjectives the difference between keen and strong

is that keen is showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense while strong is capable of producing great physical force.

As a verb keen

is to sharpen; to make cold.

As a noun keen

is a prolonged wail for a deceased person.

As an adverb strong is

in a strong manner.

As a proper noun Strong is

{{surname}.

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

    * ----

    strong

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (dialectal)

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Capable of producing great physical force.
  • Capable of withstanding great physical force.
  • fast moving water, wind, etc, which has a lot of power.
  • Determined; unyielding.
  • * , chapter=10
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong , like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.}}
  • Highly stimulating to the senses.
  • Having an offensive or intense odor or flavor.
  • Having a high concentration of an essential or active ingredient.
  • (specifically) Having a high alcoholic content.
  • (grammar) Inflecting in a different manner than the one called weak, such as Germanic verbs which change vowels.
  • (military) Not easily subdued or taken.
  • (slang, US) Impressive, good.
  • Having a specified number of people or units.
  • (of a disease or symptom) (l) (very bad or intense)
  • * 2005 , Andrew Gaeddert, Healing Immune Disorders: Natural Defense-Building Solutions , North Atlantic Books, page 221:
    • Physicians may diagnosis influenza by a throat culture or blood test, which may be important if you have a particularly strong flu, if your doctor suspects pneumonia or a bacterial infection.
  • (mathematics, logic) Having a wide range of logical consequences; widely applicable. (Often contrasted with a statement which it implies.)

    • Synonyms

    * (capable of producing great physical force) forceful, powerful * (capable of withstanding great physical force) durable, tough, sturdy * ardent, determined, swith, unyielding, zealous * (highly stimulating to the senses) extreme, intense * (having an offensive or intense odor or flavor) rank * (having a high concentration of an essential or active ingredient) concentrated, potent * (having a high alcoholic content) hard * irregular * impregnable, inviolable, secure, unassailable, unattackable

    Antonyms

    * (capable of producing great physical force) forceless, weak * (capable of withstanding great physical force) fragile * (having a high concentration of an essential or active ingredient) diluted, impotent, weak * regular, weak * weak

    See also

    * strength

    Adverb

    (-)
  • In a strong manner.

    • Synonyms

    * (in a strong manner) forcefully, powerfully, vigorously, strongly

    Antonyms

    * (in a strong manner) forcelessly, powerlessly, weakly

    See also

    * * strong personality * strong verb

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words ----