Meaning & use
keenness
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Meanings
noununcountable
The quality of being very interested, eager, or enthusiastic about something.
Grammar: No plural; use 'keenness for' or 'keenness to do something'.
Patterns
- keenness for something
- keenness to do something
- with keenness
Her keenness for science led her to study biology at university.
He showed great keenness to learn the new software.
The teacher praised the students' keenness in class discussions.
noununcountable
The quality of being sharp, intense, or highly developed, as of senses or mind.
Grammar: Often used with 'of': the keenness of his hearing.
Patterns
- the keenness of something
The keenness of her eyesight allowed her to spot the bird far away.
The keenness of his mind impressed everyone at the debate.
Common combinations
- keenness for
- His keenness for adventure took him to many countries.
- keenness to learn
- The keenness to learn among the new employees was obvious.
- show keenness
- She showed keenness in every task she was given.
- great keenness
- He accepted the challenge with great keenness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- enthusiasm
- Enthusiasm is a more common and slightly stronger word for excited interest; keenness can sound a little more formal or old-fashioned.
- eagerness
- Eagerness emphasizes impatience to do something, while keenness emphasizes general interest.
- sharpness
- Sharpness is used for physical senses or mind, similar to the second sense of keenness.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
Which sentence uses 'keenness' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Keenness' is uncountable, but you can say 'a keenness for' when describing a particular quality. 'Keenness for music' without 'a' is less natural; 'keenness of music' is wrong because 'of' is used for qualities like eyesight, not for interests.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “keenness”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.