KEENNESS Synonyms: 162 Similar and Opposite Words

keenness

noun

Definition of keenness

as in bitterness

a harsh or sharp quality the keenness of the knife should tell you that it was sharpened recently a writer famous for the keenness of her wit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in enthusiasm

urgent desire or interest was looking forward to his birthday party with the keenness of a youngster

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in intelligence

exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters had the financial keenness to know that the stock was overvalued

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sensitiveness

the state or quality of being able to sense slight impressions or differences there's an enhanced keenness of hearing that young mothers seem to develop

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of keenness The firm is busy scouting for companies positioned to benefit from the Pentagon’s keenness to boost defense spending and find new ways to pay for it. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026 However, Jaissle’s stylistic footballing similarities and the German’s keenness for his deep-lying midfielders to be bold and capable of playing upfield swiftly, with precision, means Steur may have found continuity of sorts. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 And generally with these designers the matter of taste comes into play—be that Wun’s keenness for kitsch or Malhotra and Mishra’s indulgence. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 8 July 2026 Housing and homelessness is another key issue in Los Angeles, with voters expressing a keenness for it to be tackled. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 9 June 2026 The keenness of my letdown was dismaying. — Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for keenness

Noun

This copper beauty serves up bold floral and citrus aromas, plus the signature IPA bitterness.

— Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Little united the Syrian rebels during the country’s civil war from 2011 to 2024 outside of their hatred of Assad, and Damascus has sought to cultivate this memory of bitterness to keep the country’s disparate groups together.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of bitterness

Noun

Nvidia posted blockbuster second-quarter results, and the enthusiasm is spilling over into other parts of the semiconductor sector.

— Fred Imbert, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Younger consumers' enthusiasm for fall, a desire to plan ahead and retailers' efforts to extend seasonal spending may all be helping drive the shift.

— Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of enthusiasm

Noun

Ravens and crows have also represented intelligence, knowledge, transformation, and even creation in cultures around the world.

— Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026
Both sides stressed that the use of intelligence and electrification technology is an important focus for working together.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of intelligence

Noun

Nonetheless, no agreements have been reached yet, partly because of the complexities of the issues surrounding AI, as well as sensitivities around how Hollywood talent and unions would react, the sources said.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Besides a wide-field infrared camera that matches Hubble’s sensitivity but is 1,000 times faster, Roman holds an instrument to block out starlight.

— Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of sensitivity

Noun

The lawsuit further alleged that Trader Joe’s put its crustless PB&Js peanut in packaging that too closely resembled the coloring of an Uncrustables box and featured a similar photograph of a sandwich with a bite taken out of one side.

— Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Throughout the night, creatives grazed on light bites from Goop Kitchen—the teriyaki salmon hand rolls were a crowd favorite—and bopped to the tunes from DJ Mariko.

— Paul Chi, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of bite

Noun

More than just thirst quenchers, functional beverages are engineered to deliver a wellness punch with vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, electrolytes, probiotics and enzymes for gut health and adaptogens for mood support.

— Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
What the estate has built in the 15 years since his death is a testament to the thirst for life that the artist had while on this earth.

— Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of thirst

Noun

The negative is that rookie edge Keyron Crawford is out for the year with an ankle injury.

— Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
China continues to rely on Dutch manufacturer ASML for nearly all of its cutting-edge deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, while some DUV systems encounter US export restrictions.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of edge

Browse Nearby Words

keenly

keenness

keens

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Keenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keenness. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of keenness

noun

Example Sentences

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