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Wintry vs Keen - What's the difference?

wintry | keen | Related terms |

Wintry is a related term of keen.


As adjectives the difference between wintry and keen

is that wintry is suggestive or characteristic of winter; cold, stormy while keen is showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense.

As a verb keen is

(rare) to sharpen; to make cold or keen can be to utter a keen.

As a noun keen is

a prolonged wail for a deceased person.

wintry

English

Alternative forms

* wintery

Adjective

(er)
  • suggestive or characteristic of winter; cold, stormy
  • aged, white(-haired etc.)
  • chilling, cheerless

    • Synonyms

    * (suggestive or characteristic of winter) brumal, hibernal, hiemal

    Derived terms

    * unwintry * wintrify * wintrily * wintriness * wintry mix * wintry shower

    References

    *

    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

    * ----