different between keen vs intelligent
keen
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ki?n/
- (General American) enPR: k?n, IPA(key): /kin/
- Rhymes: -i?n
- Homophones: Keane, Keene
Etymology 1
From Middle English kene (“bold, brave, sharp”), from Old English c?ne (“keen, fierce, bold, brave, warlike, powerful; learned, clever, wise”), from Proto-Germanic *k?niz (“knowledgeable, skilful, experienced, clever, capable”), from Proto-Indo-European *?neh?- (“to know”). Cognate with Danish køn (“handsome, pretty”), Dutch kien (“smart, wise, able”), koen (“daring, valiant, doughty, courageous”), German kühn (“bold, daring, audacious, hardy, valiant, venturesome”), Icelandic kænn (“wise, crafty, clever, able”), Scots keen (“lively, brisk; avaricious”). Related to Old English cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”). More at cunning, can.
Alternative forms
- keene, kene (both obsolete)
Adjective
keen (comparative keener or more keen, superlative keenest or most keen)
- (chiefly Commonwealth of Nations) Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.
- 2000, Jane Green, Bookends, London: Penguin Books, ?ISBN; republished as Bookends: A Novel, trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Broadway Books, 2003, ?ISBN, page 304:
- In fact, she doesn't mention the fact that I've obviously been avoiding her, just sounds genuinely thrilled to hear from me, and as soon as I mention getting together she suggests Monday, which is rather keen, even for Portia.
- 2000, Jane Green, Bookends, London: Penguin Books, ?ISBN; republished as Bookends: A Novel, trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Broadway Books, 2003, ?ISBN, page 304:
- Fierce, intense, vehement.
- Having a fine edge or point; sharp.
- Acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp.
- Acrimonious, bitter, piercing.
- Of cold, wind, etc.: cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp.
- 1764 December 19 (indicated as 1765), Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller, or a Prospect of Society. A Poem. Inscribed to the Rev. Henry Goldsmith, London: Printed for J[ohn] Newbery, ?OCLC; 3rd edition, London: Printed for J. Newbury,[sic, meaning Newbery] in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1765, ?OCLC, page 10:
- Chearful at morn he wakes from ?hort repo?e, / Brea?ts the keen air, and carolls as he goes; […]
- 1764 December 19 (indicated as 1765), Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller, or a Prospect of Society. A Poem. Inscribed to the Rev. Henry Goldsmith, London: Printed for J[ohn] Newbery, ?OCLC; 3rd edition, London: Printed for J. Newbury,[sic, meaning Newbery] in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1765, ?OCLC, page 10:
- (Britain) Of prices, extremely low as to be competitive.
- (US, informal, dated) Marvelous.
- (obsolete) Brave, courageous; audacious, bold.
Usage notes
Keen is often used to create compounds, the meaning of most of them being fairly obvious, for example, keen-edged, keen-eyed, keen-sighted, keen-witted, etc.
Synonyms
- (showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness): ardent, eager, prompt
- (having a fine edge or point): sharp
- (acrimonious): biting, cutting, piercing
- (acute of mind): acute, penetrating, shrewd; see also Thesaurus:intelligent
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
keen (third-person singular simple present keens, present participle keening, simple past and past participle keened)
- (transitive, rare) To make cold, to sharpen.
- 1730, James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, A Hymn, A Poem to the Memory of Sir Isaac Newton, and Britannia, a Poem, London, Printed for J. Millan, near Whitehall; and A[ndrew] Millar, in the Strand, ?OCLC; republished in The Works of James Thomson. With His Last Corrections and Improvements. In Four Volumes, volume I, London: Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand, 1766, ?OCLC, page 93, lines 1256–1259:
- This is the pure?t exerci?e of health, / The kind refre?her of the ?ummer-heats; / Nor, when cold Winter keens the brightening flood, / Would I weak-?hivering linger on the brink.
- 1730, James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, A Hymn, A Poem to the Memory of Sir Isaac Newton, and Britannia, a Poem, London, Printed for J. Millan, near Whitehall; and A[ndrew] Millar, in the Strand, ?OCLC; republished in The Works of James Thomson. With His Last Corrections and Improvements. In Four Volumes, volume I, London: Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand, 1766, ?OCLC, page 93, lines 1256–1259:
Etymology 2
From Irish caoin (“to cry, weep; to keen”).
Noun
keen (plural keens)
- A prolonged wail for a deceased person.
Verb
keen (third-person singular simple present keens, present participle keening, simple past and past participle keened)
- (intransitive) To utter a keen.
- 20th century, Stuart Howard-Jones (1904–1974), “Hibernia”, in Kingsley Amis, comp., The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1978, ?ISBN, page 243:
- Last night he had put down too much Potheen / (A vulgar blend of Methyl and Benzene) / That, at some Wake, he might the better keen. / (Keen—meaning 'brisk'? Nay, here the Language warps: / 'Tis singing bawdy Ballads to a Corpse.)
- 20th century, Stuart Howard-Jones (1904–1974), “Hibernia”, in Kingsley Amis, comp., The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1978, ?ISBN, page 243:
- (transitive) To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
- (transitive) To mourn.
Related terms
- keener
References
Anagrams
- Enke, kene, knee, kène, neek
Basque
Noun
keen
- genitive plural of ke
Hunsrik
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /k?e?n/
Particle
keen
- no, not any, not a
Declension
1Form used when the plural of the noun is the same as the singular
Further reading
- Online Hunsrik Dictionary
Luxembourgish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ke?n/
- Rhymes: -e?n
Particle
keen m or n
- no, not any, not a
Declension
Somali
Verb
keen
- bring
Yola
Etymology
From Middle English kene, from Old English c?ne.
Adjective
keen
- sharp
References
- Jacob Poole (1867) , William Barnes, editor, A glossary, with some pieces of verse, of the old dialect of the English colony in the baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, J. Russell Smith, ?ISBN
keen From the web:
- what keen means
- what keen shoes are made in the usa
- what's keener mean
- keen interest meaning
- what keen eye
- what's keen bean
- what's keen-witted
- what keen mind
intelligent
English
Alternative forms
- entelligent (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle French intelligent, from Latin intelleg?ns (“discerning”), present active participle of intelleg? (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + leg? (“choose, pick out, read”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?n?t?l?d???nt/
Adjective
intelligent (comparative more intelligent or intelligenter, superlative most intelligent or intelligentest)
- Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright.
- Well thought-out, well considered.
- Characterized by thoughtful interaction.
- Having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind.
- Having an environment-sensing automatically-invoked built-in computer capability.
Synonyms
- (of high or quick cognitive capacity): See Thesaurus:intelligent
- (similar level of brain power to mankind): See Thesaurus:self-aware
Antonyms
- stupid
Translations
Danish
Etymology
From French intelligent.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /enteli??nt/, [ent?eli????n?d?]
Adjective
intelligent
- intelligent
Inflection
Synonyms
- begavet
Antonyms
- dum
- uintelligent
Derived terms
- intelligent liv
- uintelligent
Related terms
- intelligens
References
- “intelligent” in Den Danske Ordbog
Dutch
Etymology
From French intelligent, from Latin intelleg?ns (“discerning”), present active participle of intelleg? (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + leg? (“choose, pick out, read”).
Pronunciation
Adjective
intelligent (comparative intelligenter, superlative intelligentst)
- intelligent, bright, smart
Inflection
Related terms
- intellect
- intellectueel m & adjective
- intelligentia
- intelligentie
French
Etymology
From Latin intellig?ns (“discerning”), present active participle of intelleg? (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + leg? (“choose, pick out, read”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /??.te.li.???/, /??.t?.li.???/, /??.t?l.li.???/
Adjective
intelligent (feminine singular intelligente, masculine plural intelligents, feminine plural intelligentes)
- intelligent
Derived terms
- intelligemment
- téléphone intelligent
Related terms
References
Further reading
- “intelligent” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
German
Etymology
From Latin intelleg?ns (“discerning”), present active participle of intelleg? (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + leg? (“choose, pick out, read”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /??nt?li???nt/
Adjective
intelligent (comparative intelligenter, superlative am intelligentesten)
- intelligent
- 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 5/2010, page 100:
- 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 5/2010, page 100:
Declension
Related terms
- hochintelligent
- Intelligenz
- Intellekt
- intellektuell m
Further reading
- “intelligent” in Duden online
Latin
Verb
intelligent
- third-person plural future active indicative of intellig?
Swedish
Adjective
intelligent
- intelligent, bright
intelligent From the web:
- what intelligent aquatic mammal is this
- what intelligent mean
- what intelligence
- what intelligence declines with age
- what intelligence do i have
- what intelligence increases with age
- what intelligence does iq measure
you may also like
- keen vs intelligent
- cautious vs wakeful
- brisk vs violent
- speak vs shriek
- immoderately vs surprisingly
- tragic vs unfortunate
- beamy vs illustrious
- remain vs domiciliate
- common vs current
- expedition vs keenness
- unpolished vs boisterous
- amble vs swagger
- obviation vs forestallment
- incite vs advance
- ardor vs impetuosity
- vestments vs garb
- produce vs declare
- spotless vs unpolluted
- perplexing vs annoying
- herald vs declare