ENGLISH
REFERENCE

keenly

adv. manner
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkinɫi// UK //kˈiːnli// keen·ly

adv. in a way that shows you are very interested, excited, or sharp. You use it when you feel or notice something very strongly.

adv. in an intense, sharp, or highly sensitive manner. Often describes the depth of an emotion or the sharpness of a physical sense.


SIMPLE

She listened keenly to every word of the story.

CONTEXTUAL

The loss of the local library was keenly felt by the entire community.

COMPLEX

The detective watched the suspect keenly, noting the slight tremor in his hands that betrayed his calm exterior.

Origin

From Middle English kenely, kenliche, from Old English cēnlīċe (“keenly, boldly, courageously”), equivalent to keen + -ly. Cognate with Saterland Frisian köinlik (“boldly”), archaic German kühnlich (“bravely”).

Usage

Typically follows the verb it modifies or the past participle in passive constructions.

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