as in wails
a crying out in grief
the loud keens of the widows were heard throughout the war-ravaged city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complains
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
victims of the disaster have been keening for weeks about the slowness of governmental aid
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keens
Noun
-
Mitchell has made the point before that every new technology brings wails that the fish won’t survive.—
Mike McFeely,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026 -
There was grit and grime to his feedback-heavy guitar wails, but there was sweep and grandeur too, more apparent on stage than on record.—
Piet Levy,
jsonline.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lauersdorf is always willing to answer constituent concerns, and never complains, said Heritage Homeowners’ Association vice president Jennifer Samuels in a Facebook post promoting the fundraising effort.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The narrator in Pseudo-Quintilian’s fiction complains of the unfairness of the bout.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Each dish and recipe howls with a common sense of place.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
McEntire, Stefani and Legend were brought to tears by Carter's emotional performance.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Tatum also knows the value of peer support after leaning on players like Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Dejounte Murray — all of whom suffered Achilles tears last season — during his recovery.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nothing about this neighborhood screams blockbuster.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
In the clip, the ride suddenly falls down with her phone dropping to the ground, and screams can be heard in the background in the seconds after the collapse.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Simmons became a star when groans were the franchise soundtrack.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Kimmel’s joke was met with an almost even number of laughs and groans, but little did anyone know that two days later at the actual WHCD there would be a shooting that derailed the entire night.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Freight House building creaks and moans underfoot, and passing trains produce little more than a subtle hum.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Back in the car, Albert moans and groans while Billie shrieks in panic.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After football killed 19 college players in 1905, Roosevelt resisted cries to outlaw the game and supported rule changes.—
Steve Doerschuk,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
That, of course, and the occasional ghostly presences, unsettling cries, and blood dripping from the ceiling.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Keens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keens. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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