How To Use Keen In A Sentence

His interest in public affairs, especially in social questions, was keener.
Animals are humanized, that is, the kinship between animal and human life is still keenly felt, and this reminds us of those early animistic interpretations of nature which subsequently led to doctrines of metempsychosis. The Art of the Story-Teller
Competition is keen and candidates must offer a minimum of an upper second class honours degree together with evidence of satisfactory financial arrangements.
Somebody comes forward, examines, and then draws from out the grave, where it has lain, directly under the body, a knife -- a knife of peculiar shape and workmanship -- a long, keen, _surgeon's knife_! The Diamond Coterie
In the end the keeners stalked the funeral processions screaming and shrieking all the more like vengeful banshees and had to be chased by the priests.

Those who were less keen to compete for migrants could resort to convicts as casual labour.
Thirteen months on from his last visit to Wales, he is keen to put the record straight. Times, Sunday Times
Then the pleasant little surprises of all kinds that we imagined; and the pleasant looks that greet us when we condescend to accept them; the patience that can translate our most unwarrantable "crossness", because there has been some trifling difficulty in obtaining the half of a star or the corner of a moon which it had pleased us to require, into "such a good sign of being really better"; and then our appetite (which the gods know is at that season singularly keen), how is it not tempted with unutterable dainties and friande morsels, all sorts of amateur cookery in our behalf, where Love himself has not disdained to turn the spit, and look into the stewpan! and all served up so gracefully on the small tray, covered with its delicate white damask cloth, arraying with more than mortal charms the moulds of crystal jelly and pure-looking blanc mange! Zoe: The History of Two Lives
It was really good fun and they were all keen sailors and enthusiastic. Times, Sunday Times
The President is keen to notch a political triumph that would foster freer world trade and faster economic growth.
The former teacher, who now runs a craft brewery on the island, is keen to point out how the residents have rallied round. Times, Sunday Times
A glance at any probate casebook will demonstrate how often solicitous distant relatives, keen to do fetching and carrying as well as to sort out troublesome financial affairs, show up in the declining years of lonely old people.
He was always keen to promote works by contemporary composers and also favoured neglected works. Times, Sunday Times
Quinn herself was keen to have the first test - a matter of weeks after William's birth - because she and her husband were undergoing fertility treatment at the time the child was conceived.
Evening meals are often takeaways: neither he nor his wife are keen cooks.
The street urchins had decided views on literary value, and they were always keen to hand on advice. Times, Sunday Times
He had a gentle, kindly manner, twinkling eyes and quick smile, a keen sense of humour and a penetrating wit.
They were very keen to start work as soon as possible.
At work your interesting ideas and your keen eye for detail impress the bosses. The Sun
Millner, keenly aware that an aromatic savarin au rhum was describing an arc behind his head previous to being rushed back to the pantry under young Draper's indifferent eye, stiffened himself against this last assault of the enemy, and read out firmly: "What relation do you consider that a man's business conduct should bear to his religious and domestic life? The Blond Beast
Poor female alpacas are pregnant for nearly 12 months and have no sooner had a baby, known as a cria, than they are keen to breed again. IcBirmingham
The keening sound of the upper strings provides a lasting memorial for those departed.
They will stock a huge range of toys at keen prices.
It was a garden with trees of freshest green and ripe fruits of yellow sheen; and its birds were singing clear and keen and nils ran wimpling through the fair terrene. The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night
Act Three ends powerfully, with the village in flames, good Soviet citizens hanging by their necks, and keening women, including one who is given a ‘mad scene’ of sorts.
It is the keenest spur to exertion, and surest of all guards against improbity. Times, Sunday Times
The second half was keenly fought, but neither side managed to score.
We are not keen on a long sea cruise. Times, Sunday Times
In fact once they have worn a sunsuit and realise that they no longer have to suffer two hourly suncream applications, children become very keen indeed to wear their sunsuits which offers great peace of mind to Mum and Dad!
This has become a motif among net-critics, whose vanguard is Andrew Keen, who wrote a sloppy, intellectually dishonest book called The Cult of the Amateur that damns the Internet for much the same reasons (Clay Shirky wrote a great response to Keen). Boing Boing
In defense of “keen grasp of economics,” one of Matt’s fortes is an ability to be extremely annoyed by fallacies and oversights in cost-benefit calculation. Matthew Yglesias » Listmania
The visiting team seemed surprised that Scotland were so keen on the battling side of things. Times, Sunday Times
Detectives are keen to trace a white camper van and its occupants.
The keen golfer knew he needed an experienced playing partner. Times, Sunday Times
The women were keen to offer me tips on what colour sari I should wear. Times, Sunday Times
I've always enjoyed snorkelling and I fancied scuba diving, so I was keen to have a go.
I sense they are very keen to do well, if a little bit apprehensive. Times, Sunday Times
He seems keen on conflict, pitting the countryside against the city.
They cried, they keened, they wailed.
Most of the hadjys were mounted in the Shebrye, a sort of palankeen placed upon the camel. Travels in Arabia
It perpetuates the image of the boorish, boerewors eating, brandy drinking supporter when, in fact, our supporters are highly intelligent with a keen understanding of the game.
Keen to dampen down any rumours and to reassure staff that all's well, he tapped out a hastily written memo to his staff using his Blackberry.
The company has defocused on its planned release of its third generation platform because it says operators are more keen to avoid a two-step upgrade.
I was feeling the exhaustion keenly - but not enough to make a complete ass of myself during choir, which inched by like a violist playing Paganini caprices.
Lara will be keen to cap his last international match with a win against England when the two under-performing teams clash on Saturday.
But I knew that he enjoyed the reputation as one of the keenest intellects and best Supreme Court advocates in the highly competitive Washington legal market.
Booksellers are keen to pitch for school business.
His father was a keen photographer and he would colour in photographs using cotton buds and oil paints. Times, Sunday Times
A small group met recently to get things moving, and they are now looking for others keen to become members.
Keen only pauses for a single paragraph to broach the enormous issue of whether the internet and e-mail are actually changing the way our brains work. Times, Sunday Times
Both authors combine a lifetime of clinical experience with a keen interest in research methodology.
A horrible something, as penetrable as mist, as keen as the sting of conscience, as inevitable as the burden of life, seemed to inwrap him. A Tar-Heel Baron
Within the village itself, there are other attractions for those keen on immersing themselves in local history.
It seems odd that a poet so keen - perhaps even desperate - to reach across time, to provide us with such realism, should do so by writing wilfully unreadable poems.
He is very keen to reach agreement with the US on reducing long-range nuclear missiles.
He sang in the choir, was a talented musician and a keen sportsman.
The banks were not at all keen to lend to somebody who actually seemed to need money.
He is a keen sailor and has his boat moored just outside his house. Times, Sunday Times
Listen long enough and you can hear the high-pitched, enthusiastic yip yowl of coyotes; the long, keening howl of the wolves.
Livia is desperately ambitious that her son, Tiberius, become Emperor on Augustus’s death, never mind that there are quite a few other heirs before him, or that neither Augustus nor Tiberius himself is very keen on Tiberius being Emperor. Dissecting the Devil «
England's new regime is keen to end the view that one-day cricket is a glorified feeder system. Times, Sunday Times
For her part, Alpert has a keen and understated wit.
I ask, when the keening has stopped several minutes later. Times, Sunday Times
She has stage presence and a keen sense of the absurd, particularly in the political realm.
With his keen sight and sound judgment, it would not have taken him long to determine that the inner part of the bay does not consist of floating barrier, but that the Barrier there rests upon a good, solid foundation, probably in the form of small islands, skerries, or shoals, and from this point he and his able companions would have disposed of the South Polar question once for all. The South Pole~ Plan and Preparations
Young F has been reading about it in Brendan O'Brien's The Story of Ireland, and although now reassured that the danger from fleas and rats has been much reduced, and that in any case bubonic plague is treatable with modern antibiotics, he is keen to learn more. This is a long shot, but...
Like most owls, Great Horned Owls have keen hearing and keen vision in low light, both adaptations for hunting at night.
The third patron to enter the bar was a Thick Dublin Jackeen, who swaggered into the bar and yelled, "Alrigh' Mate, give us a pint o'cider. Hey,is tha' Jaysus over thair?" The barman nodded, so the Jackeen told him to give Jesus a pint of cider too.
That extra tail-weight partly explains why the Octavia feels eager to point into a corner despite its soft and very comfortable springing, making it a surprisingly enjoyable car for a keen driver, apart from the overly snatchy brakes.
Jaspan inherits a newspaper with the kind of resources a keen editor with a lively mind and a constitution tested by the fire of Fleet St would find irresistible.
The idea is being considered by ministers, who say that universities are keen to take on additional numbers but are blocked from doing so by stringent quotas. Times, Sunday Times
Both started this keenly-anticipated derby, Ryan at stand-off and Alex at loose forward.
The locals clearly were not too keen to strangers and I received a less than hospitable welcome.
asked Voss, still keen, still capable of doing an all-nighter for the East Front. THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS
I was keen to strike up a conversation with him.
In fact, Diane enjoyed these delightful juvenilities all the more keenly because she knew that she could put an end to them at any moment. Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan
This, unfortunately, is a human condition we are now finally becoming keenly “aware” of. Legalizing drug user possession
I used to be a keen mountain biker. Times, Sunday Times
For Georgie, 24, a keen sportswoman who has played both volleyball and lacrosse competitively, her new post also fulfils a dream.
Ms. Wang's keen classical furniture had encountered such a sales force. Ms.
He is keen for a more holistic approach to the way the sick and the elderly end their lives. Times, Sunday Times
He's also very keen to sell me on the merits of his new menswear collection, the very first deliveries of which are currently reaching his stockists.
She is a keen gardener, bird watcher, photographer and swimmer.
He isn't thinking of returning full-time to a career in interviewing and he wasn't keen to offer advice to the latest pretender to his throne.
The thought of the long day's travel with the dogs appalls me; the thought of the keen frost in the morning and of the frozen sled-lashings frightens me — The Night-Born
Long-backed, thin, ‘lank as a leafless elm,’ a New England coach driver might look as though a high wind would blow him away, yet he would wear nankeens and low shoes in winter weather, and was not fragile but lusty.
Recently, literary scholars have been keen to discuss the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in terms of continuity as well as change. The Times Literary Supplement
She was always keen to shake off the early typecasting as the empty-headed sex symbol.
The striker was keen for his fellow French frontman to join him.
Hence, she was keen to assist in the work of Venerable Dr Rewata Dhamma, the Spiritual Director of the Birmingham Buddhist vihara, who has been instrumental in establishing the Dhamma Talaka (Reservoir of Truth) Peace Pagoda.
Although several individuals had been keen to buy the house, their plans always foundered when he questioned whether they had the financial resources to carry the project through.
As we left Girvan, with the sun shining, the wind blowing in its usual and helpful easterly direction, we climbed away from the town on a good open track which, despite the steep gradient, added to a sense of keen anticipation.
But this served only to stimulate the already keen energies of the Federal forces, who waded knee-deep through the clear Potomac, and trudged along over the 'sacred soil' with a willingness unchecked by the cold nor'wester that raged on that July morning. The Continental Monthly, Vol. 1, No. 3, March, 1862
The spiral stair is very keen but getting my humungous bag up to the loft was a trial, especially as 6/9/08: Taos Toolbox, day 1: Clarion Deluxe, now with 50% less oxygen
Susan has a keen eye for detail, so each dress is beautifully finished off.
Many of them are regulars and their loyalty is something the founder is keen to reward. Times, Sunday Times
That said, he will be keen to avoid further humiliation. Times, Sunday Times
Claire gritted her teeth against the pain, a high, keen sound escaping her lips.
The club are keen to recoup the large sums spent in recent seasons. Times, Sunday Times
Once again a very keen and competitive atmosphere was enhanced by the good weather.
They are keen to progress with the scheme.
Gray was a talented jazzman with a keen understanding of musical nuance.
Their preference for negotiations was the result of a keen appreciation that American citizens had caused much of the trouble on the frontiers and that the rest of the country was reluctant to raise and support the forces needed to restrain frontiersmen or fight Native peoples. Between War and Peace
Born in London, taught by governesses, she combined her early love of drawing with a keen interest in natural history, copying flowers and drawing small animals kept as pets or found on summer holidays in Scotland and the Lakes.
Now we were very keen to hear the thoughts of some of the Orwell Award nominees, but our offers were largely declined.
He was also a keen angler and an enthusiastic gardener, with his dahlias and leeks becoming the envy of Hampshire. Times, Sunday Times
And he is also keen to launch the Landlord on the big screen. The Sun
This is a real treat for animal lovers and particularly those who are not so keen on zoos.
Sir Anthony was a keen fundraiser for the Liberal Democrats.
Managers were so keen to meet performance targets that they failed to check whether inspections were being carried out properly. Times, Sunday Times
It is reassuring to know that he is keen to bat on. Times, Sunday Times
To give her her due, the headmistress wasn't too keen on league tables herself and has spoken out against government prescriptiveness.
A keen cook, she was happy to allow Joe to pile his dinner plate with extra Yorkshire puddings or the scones and sausage rolls she enjoyed making.
Anyone who buys a book on that must be awfy keen on nonsense. A Small Death in the Great Glen
Naomi sends questioning looks, keen for an update on the dybbuk saga.
Those keen to strike include door-to-door delivery staff and drivers. Times, Sunday Times
Jon plumped for the main course of skewered collops of Mallaig monkfish, but wasn't too keen on the other half of the combo, that Shetland salmon.
The patient's relatives were keen for him to be an organ donor.
Putting it in motion takes time and attention; do it right, and you get all kinds of clash and clangor and pretty sparks ‘His voice trails off, and his gaze is suddenly hard and keen.’
The parents were keen that their daughter should become musician.
a subtone, his brain was afire with keen activity; but unfortunately for the going forward of things, this mental state was divided into so many battalions, led by so many generals, indirectly and indecisively, nowhere. The Place of Honeymoons
Darwin's keen analogy of the fertilization of plants by pollen renders development from without conceivable, but as there are no insects to convey gemmules to their destination, each kind of gemmule would have to be exceedingly numerous and easily attracted from amongst an inconceivable number of other gemmules. Are the Effects of Use and Disuse Inherited? An Examination of the View Held by Spencer and Darwin
No matter how keen you are to show off the fruits of a fortnight's sunbathing, excessive cleavage or leg can look cheap and unappealing.
It was a pity that people were keen on showering encomiums on politicians and heads of religions and communities, whatever the frailties of these individuals.
By all accounts it was the usual huge success, with keen gardeners coming from all around to stock up on plants and gardening paraphernalia.
You have the quiet confidence that makes a partner keener. The Sun
Like their real life counterparts, our characters are not so keen on having their blood spilt. Editing Characters « Write Anything
Leiths use pineapple juice in their marinade, which contains bromelain, an enzyme well known for its tenderising effect on meat, but, although this does work, I'm not keen on the slightly tropical flavour it gives the ribs. How to cook perfect barbecue ribs
Japan's prime minister is expressing what he calls keen remorse and heartfelt apologies for his country's role in World War II. CNN Transcript Aug 15, 2005
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Energy specialists project keen competition in Hungary by several foreign enterprises.
Is he keen on films being adapted into plays, then? Times, Sunday Times
I had very much enjoyed the spectacle though Hugo had seemed keener to direct my attention to the happenings in the private boxes rather than the performances on stage.
A keen cyclist is to live out his dream by riding across the finish line of the Tour de France.
He is also keen to develop gaming on board and says companies are queuing up to partner the airline on this initiative.
The steel-grey wavelets of Loch Skeen lapped dark peaty banks.
He is, by inclination, eager to please, keen to win support within his party and go with the political grain.
She plans to hire more staff this year and is keen to take on apprentices. Times, Sunday Times
The proprioceptive sense is so keenly developed in our arboreal brethren that little if any visual correction is required. My latest foray | clusterflock
Nor in tbeit liquid texture mortal "Mound Receive f no more than can thejhtid air;] The same comparif son in Sliakespear, Macbeth, adt v. As easy may'sc thou the intrenchant air With thy keen sword impress, as make me bleed. Paradise Lost: A Poem, in Twelve Books. The Author John Milton. Printed from the Text of Tonson ...
With the summer holidays in full swing, the park is a magnet for youngsters keen to experience the outdoors.
He says he was keen to try a new crop, and dwarf sunflowers ripen in time to harvest in late summer.
With a miracle of even greater proportions required to propel his new side to similar glories, he is keen just to focus on the next round.
Ms McAleese, who was a keen walker, horsewoman and dressage rider, had done everything possible to minimise the effect of the injury and had decided to continue with her activities.
I was a fit man and a keen motorcyclist. Times, Sunday Times
Fitzgerald is keen to emulate Martin's record of three successive world titles.
he was keenly aware of his own shortcomings
All keen chaps, veterans of the Iraq or Bosnian thing, hot-blooded the lot of them. CORMORANT
She offers many snippets of keen and astute observation. Times, Sunday Times
Competition for entry to these programs is keen, and applicants need above-average grades to gain admission.
Five keen snappers received free photography tuition from a professional in a project supported by the Greater Woolwich neighbourhood renewal panel.
His family had been devout Hindus, keenly persuaded of the importance of group loyalties. World History: Patterns of Change and Continuity
I am a keen racegoer and enjoyed watching the Derby.
Odd noises, strange instruments, keening vocals; its tunes wind themselves around your heart like drifting smoke.
And I suspect he intentionally allowed She'asta's tail to skid ever so slightly on the ice as he negotiated the deeper curves in the road just to grant those of us in the back a bit keener thrill. ~A Mountain Boy's Christmas Memory~ Guest Post By Eric Schweer
As a spicy paragrapher, originator of attractive news features, and as a keen observer of popular tastes, he has few equals and no superiors in the army of Afro-American journalists. Twentieth Century Negro Literature Or, A Cyclopedia of Thought on the Vital Topics Relating to the American Negro
If he does play, however, he will face a keen battle of wits with England's big hitters.
He is strenuously keen to refute any charges of elitism that might still cling to the place. Times, Sunday Times
The play is one of the most potent amalgams of the Bard's keen psychological observation, tragic fatalism, and bitingly intelligent verbal and conceptual humor.
With the general election just 11 months away, the government is keen to rush through proposals that will chime well with savers. Times, Sunday Times
My father, who was never particularly keen on my modelling, would have put the kibosh on me doing it immediately. Times, Sunday Times
It's a lot of fun being this keen and enthusiastic. Times, Sunday Times
There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children. Nelson Mandela
For the participating companies, of which there will be over 400, the keen competition and fun will help foster team spirit.
A small group met recently to get things moving, and they are now looking for others keen to become members.
The sullen-faced Xavier glowered in surly silence, but the malignant, beady eyes of Du Mont regarded the officer keenly. The Gun-Brand
Keen to preserve his artistic integrity, he refused several lucrative Hollywood offers.
This is great news - not just for fast-tiring toddlers, but also for hyperadrenalised teens keen to make one last dash round the big attractions before shut-up time.
Isabelle and John write that they are keen to do plenty of relaxing, preferably on a beach, beside a lake or simply lolling around a pool.
All members are keen fishers and come from a wide range of professional and socio-economic backgrounds.
Mrs Keen has shown utter contempt for her constituents by refusing to explain or justify her actions. Times, Sunday Times
But his dithering approach is still a hit with viewers, which is why bosses are keen to keep him on board. The Sun
Such ‘cultural events’ have become popular whistle-stops for political parties keen to woo the nearly 300,000 Asian New Zealanders of voting age.
And there are legal firms linked to the music industry keen to take him on. The Sun
The Scots were also keen to capitalize on their chance to take over first place.
For a party steeped in a history of armed struggle they are none too keen on radical activism.
She is a student of keen observation.
She is keen to lay the yashmak of cool air across her face, keen to enjoy the soothing mantilla of the night breeze. THE CHEEK PERFORATION DANCE
Harriet has the keen judgment and discerning intellect necessary to be an outstanding Counsel.
Seventeen teams, one of the largest number of entries for many years, participated and competition was very keen.
He is keenly interested in classical English literature.
Although some villas in holiday resorts do appear to be priced very keenly, you will often find that they are only the size of a good one-bed apartment at home.
It adapts her supple camera style and keen editing eye to an amazing subject.
She's mad keen on hockey / on Arthur Higgins.
Never the less I was very keen to help her stop polluting the environment in the way that she did.
We are keen to see the industry embrace these ideas and deliver positive change for consumers. Times, Sunday Times
The light from the gasolier burnished the keen blade. Once An Angel
Round here, we are not very keen on the notion of banning words of any kind.
Nor, I'd imagine, would the Hollywood guilds feel any too keen about the Academy's vouching for one of the companies that incinerated workers' pensions and jobs.
Both Colin and team manager, Marco, are keen to recruit more extreme sports stars, especially those of the female variety.
It combines an attractive compact unit with all the multimedia features needed for home use at a keen price.
For many years I had a keen interest in the supernatural, UFOs, cryptozoology, etc.
Knight, somewhat blamably, keenly enjoyed sparring with the palpitating mobile creature, whose excitable nature made any such thing a species of cruelty. A Pair of Blue Eyes
+ The second sort (odium inimicitiae, or hostility) aims directly at the person, indulges a propensity to see what is evil and unlovable in him, feels a fierce satisfaction at anything tending to his discredit, and is keenly desirous that his lot may be an unmixedly hard one, either in general or in this or that specified way. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 7: Gregory XII-Infallability
Prices are keen but beware that entry models have neither sun roof nor air conditioning.
Mr McGuinness is keen to channel money to parents who want to start schools that bring Protestant and Catholic children together.
Major Mallaby-Kelby was a keen pushful officer, immensely eager to maintain the well-known efficiency of the Brigade while the colonel was away; but he took me into his confidence on another matter. Pushed and the Return Push
A keen fly-fisherman caught a record-sized salmon.
Beijing and the people of Beijing are wonderful people, friendly, helpful, focused on bettering themselves and keen to please.
It also spells the end of that great Irish political institution, the so-called tallymen and women, whose keen observations gave extremely accurate predictions hours ahead of final results.

How To Use Keen In A Sentence

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