keenness C2+ Topic:Mind & Cognition US /ˈkinnəs/ UK /ˈkiːnnəs/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun sharpness of mind, perception, or eagerness Her keenness for the project never flagged through the long night. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · sharpness of mind,... sharpnessacutenesseagernessenthusiasmardorzealavidityperceptiveness ↔ Opposites dullnessapathyindifferencereluctance Word family Related forms keenkeenly Etymology AI details From Old English cēne ('bold, brave, keen') + the noun suffix -ness, of Germanic origin. cēne Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Mind & Cognition Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # keenness **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈkinnəs/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈkiːnnəs/ ## Meanings 1. sharpness of mind, perception, or eagerness ## Examples - Her keenness for the project never flagged through the long night. ## Synonyms - sharpness - acuteness - eagerness - enthusiasm - ardor - zeal - avidity - perceptiveness ## Antonyms - dullness - apathy - indifference - reluctance ## Related Forms - keen - keenly ## Roots and Affixes - Root: cēne ## Etymology From Old English cēne ('bold, brave, keen') + the noun suffix -ness, of Germanic origin. ## AI Etymology Keenness comes from Old English cēne ('bold, brave, keen') + the noun suffix -ness, of Germanic origin. The etymological trail includes Old English cēne. The same word family includes keen, keenly. Its current noun use means "sharpness of mind, perception, or eagerness". ## Topics - Mind & Cognition - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown