the.com/keenness
Enthusiasm sharpened to a point, sometimes aimed at your own foot.
means Keenness is intense eagerness or sharpness of interest, often with an edge of impatience to get at something.
from From Old English 'cene,' meaning bold, brave, or fierce — the word originally described warriors and blades before it dulled, so to speak, into describing enthusiasm. The sense shift runs from literal sharpness (a keen edge, a keen wind that cuts) to mental and emotional sharpness (a keen mind, a keen interest). Related words across Germanic languages carry similar senses of boldness and acuity, though exact cognates are debated. The throughline is sharpness itself — whether of blade, wit, or want.
- origin
- from old english cene, meaning bold or fierce
- double life
- means both eagerness and sharpness of a blade
- red flag version
- shows up on job applications meaning desperate but presentable
- overdose symptom
- volunteering before anyone finishes asking