Keen vs. Sharp: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Keen implies a sharp edge or point with enthusiasm or desire, while sharp denotes a fine edge or point that can cut or pierce easily.
Key Differences
Keen often refers to an eagerness or enthusiasm that is intense and focused, like the keen anticipation of an upcoming event. Sharp, on the other hand, might describe the physical characteristic of an object, such as the sharp blade of a knife, denoting its ability to cut with little resistance.
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Nov 24, 2023
In terms of perception or intellect, a keen mind suggests one that is acutely perceptive and able to discern fine details, whereas a sharp mind may imply a quick-witted or an astutely intelligent one. Both keen and sharp in this sense relate to mental acuity.
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Nov 24, 2023
Sensory experiences also utilize these adjectives. A keen sense of smell means a highly developed olfactory perception, while sharp might describe a sudden and piercing sensation, like a sharp pain.
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Nov 24, 2023
Emotionally, someone might have a keen interest in a subject, indicating a deep and passionate engagement. Sharp, when used emotionally, could refer to a harsh or severe reaction, like a sharp retort in a conversation.
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Nov 24, 2023
Lastly, keen can denote a sharpness in conditions, such as a keen wind, which is intensely felt. Conversely, sharp weather usually refers to a sudden or severe drop in temperature, leading to very cold conditions.
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Nov 24, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Connotation
Intense enthusiasm or eagerness
Fine edge or point, able to cut or pierce
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Nov 24, 2023
Perception
Acutely perceptive, sensitive to subtleties
Quick-witted, astutely intelligent
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Nov 24, 2023
Sensory Experience
Highly developed sense (e.g., smell, hearing)
Sudden, piercing sensation (e.g., pain, sound)
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Nov 24, 2023
Conditions
Intensely felt, as in keen wind
Sudden or severe, as in sharp frost
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Nov 24, 2023
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Keen and Sharp Definitions
Keen
Highly developed or acute, as in senses.
The hound had a keen sense of smell.
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Nov 08, 2023
Sharp
Having a fine or distinct edge or point.
Be careful with the knife; it's very sharp.
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Nov 08, 2023
Keen
Intellectually sharp or perceptive.
His keen intellect solved the problem quickly.
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Nov 08, 2023
Sharp
Sudden and piercing in sensation or effect.
She felt a sharp pain in her side.
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Nov 08, 2023
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Sharp
Precise or clear in form or detail.
His sharp memory never failed him.
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Nov 08, 2023
Sharp
Having a thin edge or a fine point suitable for or capable of cutting or piercing.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Sharp; vivid; strong
"His entire body hungered for keen sensation, something exciting" (Richard Wright).
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Intellectually penetrating; astute
Was sharp in his analysis of the problem.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.
I’m keen on computers.
She’s keen to learn another language.
“Do you want to go on holiday with me?” “Yes, I’m keen.”
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Of cold, wind, etc.: cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp.
A keen wind
The cold is very keen
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Strongly affecting the senses of smell and taste
A sharp pungent odor.
A sharp cheese.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Sharp; having a fine edge or point; as, a keen razor, or a razor with a keen edge.
A bow he bare and arwes [arrows] bright and kene.
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features.
To make our wits more keen.
Before the keen inquiry of her thought.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.
Good father cardinal, cry thou amenTo my keen curses.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
A sign (♯) used to indicate that a note is to be raised by a semitone.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; - applied to cold, wind, etc.; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Eager; vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite.
So keen and greedy to confound a man.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded.
I keep my knives sharp so that they don't slip unexpectedly while carving.
Ernest made the pencil too sharp and accidentally stabbed himself with it.
A face with sharp features
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions;
An acute observer of politics and politicians
Incisive comments
Icy knifelike reasoning
As sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang
Penetrating insight
Frequent penetrative observations
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(colloquial) Intelligent.
My nephew is a sharp lad; he can count to 100 in six languages, and he's only five years old.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(music) Higher than usual by one semitone (denoted by the symbol ♯ after the name of the note).
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Very penetrating and clear and sharp in operation;
An incisive mind
A keen intelligence
Of sharp and active intellect
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(music) Higher in pitch than required.
The orchestra's third violin several times was sharp about an eighth of a tone.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Very good;
He did a bully job
A neat sports car
Had a great time at the party
You look simply smashing
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Having an intense, acrid flavour.
Milly couldn't stand sharp cheeses when she was pregnant, because they made her nauseated.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
As physically painful as if caused by a sharp instrument;
A cutting wind
Keen winds
Knifelike cold
Piercing knifelike pains
Piercing cold
Piercing criticism
A stabbing pain
Lancinating pain
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Sudden and intense.
A pregnant woman during labor normally experiences a number of sharp contractions.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(colloquial) Illegal or dishonest.
Michael had a number of sharp ventures that he kept off the books.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(colloquial) Keenly or unduly attentive to one's own interests; shrewd.
A sharp dealer;
A sharp customer
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Exact, precise, accurate; keen.
You'll need sharp aim to make that shot.
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Oct 19, 2023
Keen
Intense or strong, often used for feelings or winds.
A keen disappointment washed over him.
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Nov 08, 2023
Sharp
Offensive, critical, or acrimonious.
Sharp criticism
When the two rivals met, first there were sharp words, and then a fight broke out.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Observant; alert; acute.
Keep a sharp watch on the prisoners. I don't want them to escape!
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Forming a small angle; especially, forming an angle of less than ninety degrees.
Drive down Main for three quarters of a mile, then make a sharp right turn onto Pine.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Steep; precipitous; abrupt.
A sharp ascent or descent; a sharp turn or curve
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Said of as extreme a value as possible.
Sure, any planar graph can be five-colored. But that result is not sharp: in fact, any planar graph can be four-colored. That is sharp: the same can't be said for any lower number.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Piercing; keen; severe; painful.
A sharp pain; the sharp and frosty winter air
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Eager or keen in pursuit; impatient for gratification.
A sharp appetite
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(music) In a higher pitch than is correct or desirable.
I didn't enjoy the concert much because the tenor kept going sharp on the high notes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(music) The symbol ♯, placed after the name of a note in the key signature or before a note on the staff to indicate that the note is to be played a semitone higher.
The pitch pipe sounded out a perfect F♯ (F sharp).
Transposition frequently is harder to read because of all the sharps and flats on the staff.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(music) A note that is played a semitone higher than usual; denoted by the name of the note that is followed by the symbol ♯.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(music) A note that is sharp in a particular key.
The piece was difficult to read after it had been transposed, since in the new key many notes were sharps.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(music) The scale having a particular sharp note as its tonic.
Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" is written in C♯ minor (C sharp minor.)
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Something that is sharp.
Place sharps in the specially marked red container for safe disposal.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
A dishonest person; a cheater.
The casino kept in the break room a set of pictures of known sharps for the bouncers to see.
This usage is often classified as variant spelling of shark, and unrelated to the 'pointed' or 'cutting' meanings of sharp.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
A sewing needle with a very slender point, more pointed than a blunt or a between.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(in the plural) Fine particles of husk mixed with coarse particle of flour of cereals; middlings.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(music) To raise the pitch of a note half a step making a natural note a sharp.
That new musician must be tone deaf: he sharped half the notes of the song!
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Having a very thin edge or fine point; of a nature to cut or pierce easily; not blunt or dull; keen.
He dies upon my scimeter's sharp point.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Terminating in a point or edge; not obtuse or rounded; somewhat pointed or edged; peaked or ridged; as, a sharp hill; sharp features.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Affecting the sense as if pointed or cutting, keen, penetrating, acute: to the taste or smell, pungent, acid, sour, as ammonia has a sharp taste and odor; to the hearing, piercing, shrill, as a sharp sound or voice; to the eye, instantaneously brilliant, dazzling, as a sharp flash.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Very trying to the feelings; piercing; keen; severe; painful; distressing; as, sharp pain, weather; a sharp and frosty air.
Sharp misery had worn him to the bones.
The morning sharp and clear.
In sharpest perils faithful proved.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Cutting in language or import; biting; sarcastic; cruel; harsh; rigorous; severe; as, a sharp rebuke.
To that place the sharp Athenian lawCan not pursue us.
Be thy words severe,Sharp as merits but the sword forbear.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Of keen perception; quick to discern or distinguish; having nice discrimination; acute; penetrating; sagacious; clever; as, a sharp eye; sharp sight, hearing, or judgment.
Nothing makes men sharper . . . than want.
Many other things belong to the material world, wherein the sharpest philosophers have never ye arrived at clear and distinct ideas.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Eager in pursuit; keen in quest; impatient for gratification; keen; as, a sharp appetite.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Fierce; ardent; fiery; violent; impetuous.
A sharp assault already is begun.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Keenly or unduly attentive to one's own interest; close and exact in dealing; shrewd; as, a sharp dealer; a sharp customer.
The necessity of being so sharp and exacting.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Steep; precipitous; abrupt; as, a sharp ascent or descent; a sharp turn or curve.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Uttered in a whisper, or with the breath alone, without voice, as certain consonants, such as p, k, t, f; surd; nonvocal; aspirated.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
To a point or edge; piercingly; eagerly; sharply.
The head [of a spear] full sharp yground.
You bite so sharp at reasons.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
A sharp tool or weapon.
If butchers had but the manners to go to sharps, gentlemen would be contented with a rubber at cuffs.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
The character [$] used to indicate that the note before which it is placed is to be raised a half step, or semitone, in pitch.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
A sewing needle having a very slender point; a needle of the most pointed of the three grades, blunts, betweens, and sharps.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
To raise above the proper pitch; to elevate the tone of; especially, to raise a half step, or semitone, above the natural tone.
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
A musical notation indicating one half step higher than the note named
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined;
A sharp photographic image
The sharp crack of a twig
The crisp snap of dry leaves underfoot
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions;
An acute observer of politics and politicians
Incisive comments
Icy knifelike reasoning
As sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang
Penetrating insight
Frequent penetrative observations
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Marked by practical hardheaded intelligence;
A smart businessman
An astute tenant always reads the small print in a lease
He was too shrewd to go along with them on a road that could lead only to their overthrow
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Extremely steep;
An abrupt canyon
The precipitous rapids of the upper river
The precipitous hills of Chinese paintings
A sharp drop
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Keenly and painfully felt; as if caused by a sharp edge or point;
A sharp pain
Sharp winds
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Very penetrating and clear and sharp in operation;
An incisive mind
A keen intelligence
Of sharp and active intellect
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Having or made by a thin edge or sharp point; suitable for cutting or piercing;
A sharp knife
A pencil with a sharp point
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Very sudden and in great amount or degree;
A sharp drop in the stock market
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Changing suddenly in direction and degree;
The road twists sharply after the light
Turn sharp left here
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Oct 19, 2023
Sharp
Harsh or biting in tone or manner.
Her sharp criticism stung the author.
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Nov 08, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can keen be used to describe a taste?
Yes, keen can describe a taste that is intense and strong.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
Does sharp only refer to physical objects?
No, it can also describe mental acuity or a severe manner.
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Nov 24, 2023
Can a person be described as keen?
Yes, suggesting they are eager or enthusiastic.
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Nov 24, 2023
Is sharp always negative when describing a person?
Not necessarily; it can imply that someone is smart or perceptive.
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Nov 24, 2023
Can keen be used to describe weather?
Yes, like a keen wind, meaning very cold and biting.
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Nov 24, 2023
Is sharp a term used in music?
Yes, to describe a note played slightly higher in pitch.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
Can keen mean the same as sharp?
In certain contexts, like keen wit or sharp mind, they overlap.
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Nov 24, 2023
Does sharp imply a negative emotional response?
It can, such as a sharp retort, but it's not exclusive.
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Nov 24, 2023
Can keen indicate a positive attribute?
Absolutely, like having a keen interest in a hobby.
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Nov 24, 2023
Are keen and sharp interchangeable in describing intellect?
They can be, but sharp often adds a nuance of speed to understanding.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
Can keen describe a sharp pain?
Not usually; keen is more about eagerness or intensity in non-physical senses.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
Does sharp always imply intelligence?
Often, but it can also refer to clarity or distinctness in general.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
Is a sharp taste the same as a keen taste?
A sharp taste usually refers to a distinct, piercing flavor.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
Can keen refer to a sharp edge?
Indirectly, as in being keenly aware, but it's less common.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
Can keen relate to a sharp decline in temperature?
Keen usually describes the intensity of a sensation, not a rapid change.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
Can sharp be used to describe someone's appearance?
Yes, indicating they are well-dressed or stylish.
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Nov 24, 2023
Is sharp used in photography?
Yes, to describe images that are clear and well-defined.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
Does sharp have a similar meaning in all contexts?
It varies but generally denotes precision or acuteness.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
Are there idioms that include keen?
Yes, like "keen as mustard," meaning very enthusiastic.
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Nov 24, 2023
Are keen senses the same as sharp senses?
They both describe heightened sensory perception, but sharp often implies a more sudden sensation.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 24, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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