keen

B2 · Upper Intermediate

adj. having a very sharp edge or point.

adj. having a fine edge or point; physically sharp.

日本語:鋭い※

“The chef used a knife with a keen edge to slice the tomatoes thinly.”

“The artisan spent hours ensuring the chisel had a keen enough edge to carve the intricate patterns into the hardwood.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

adj. having a quick mind that understands things easily.

adj. having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating and perceptive.

日本語:鋭い※

“He has a keen mind and can solve difficult puzzles in minutes.”

“Her keen analytical skills allowed her to identify the structural flaws in the proposal long before the rest of the committee.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

adj. highly developed and sensitive, especially sight, smell, or hearing.

adj. highly developed or sensitive; acute in perception.

“Dogs have a keen sense of smell that helps them find hidden objects.”

“The nocturnal predator relies on its keen hearing to locate small rodents moving beneath the leaf litter in total darkness.”

C1 · Advanced Literary

adj. very strong or cold, like a wind that feels like it is cutting you.

adj. intense, piercing, or biting in nature; often used to describe weather or emotions.

“A keen wind blew across the open fields, making everyone shiver.”

“The mourners felt a keen sense of loss that words could not adequately describe during the ceremony.”

C2 · Proficiency Literary

v. to make a long, loud, sad sound because someone has died.

v. to utter a loud, wailing lament for the dead.

“The women began to keen as the funeral procession passed through the village.”

“The wind seemed to keen through the ruins, sounding like a ghostly lament for the city's former inhabitants.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Literary

n. a long, sad cry for a person who has died.

n. a prolonged wail or lamentation for a deceased person.

“The sound of a distant keen echoed through the valley during the night.”

“The poet described the low, rhythmic keen of the villagers as they gathered to pay their final respects.”