keenly

keen·ly
K5E1E1N1L1Y4
/ˈkiːnli/

adverb

In a keen manner.

“We played keenly.”

Similar
acutely
OriginMiddle English kenely ← Old English cēnlīċe →
Less commonScrabble 13
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Meanings

adverbkeenly (comparative more keenly, superlative most keenly)

comparative more keenly · superlative most keenly

  1. In a keen manner.

    We played keenly.

    1 more example

    watch something keenly

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbin a keen or penetrating way

Similar
acutely
Also see
acutely

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Englishcēnlīċe“keenly, boldly, courageously”
  2. Middle Englishkenely
  3. Englishkeenly

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”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Esperanto akre
  • akrein a keen manner
Latin ācriter
  • ācriterin a keen manner

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

KenleyKynlee
Cite this entry
APA

keenly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keenly

MLA

“keenly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keenly. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keenly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keenly.

Source: keenly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.