What's the difference between eager and keen?

Eager


Definition:

  • (a.) Sharp; sour; acid.
  • (a.) Sharp; keen; bitter; severe.
  • (a.) Excited by desire in the pursuit of any object; ardent to pursue, perform, or obtain; keenly desirous; hotly longing; earnest; zealous; impetuous; vehement; as, the hounds were eager in the chase.
  • (a.) Brittle; inflexible; not ductile.
  • (n.) Same as Eagre.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Beijing has no interest in seeing strained ties affecting development plans either.” The Moranbong band was founded by Kim Jong-un , with each member reportedly selected by a leader eager to make his mark on the cultural scene.
  • (2) The reason behind Burnham's impregnable new confidence may well also explain the coalition's eagerness to drive him on to the backbenches.
  • (3) Eager to show I was a good student, the next time we had sex, I noticed that one of my hands was, indeed, lying idle – and started to pat him on the back, absently, as if trying to wind a baby.
  • (4) Driven by a desire to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and promote a secure supply of energy, the government of Albania has been very eager to encourage increased investment in renewable energy and in 2013 a law was passed to promote renewable energy .
  • (5) Certainly the affidavit against Ferdaus paints a compelling picture of a man hellbent on waging jihad in America and eager to take the guns and explosives eventually supplied to him by the undercover FBI agents.
  • (6) Wide-eyed, tentative and much given to confidences – her voice falls to an eager whisper when she's really dishing – she seems far younger than her years.
  • (7) Coleman, in his efforts to sustain the national team's momentum, will be particularly eager to keep Craig Bellamy in the lineup, although it was the persuasiveness of Speed that brought his return.
  • (8) "EA's next CEO inherits a company beset by a broad range of legacy problems created not just by difficult retail market conditions but also by its own hand," says Nick Gibson an analyst at Games Investor Consulting Ltd. "It has been too eager to use major acquisitions – Jamdat, Playfish, Bioware, PopCap etc – to try to accelerate growth or gain early leadership positions in emerging markets, often overpaying by substantial amounts for companies that subsequently fail to deliver what EA expected they would."
  • (9) Nor should we forget why the Conservatives were so eager to seize that chance: they saw the opportunity to wipe out the achievements of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, who demonstrated, over many years of hard graft, that the country’s economic management was safe in Labour’s hands.
  • (10) Boris Johnson, the mayor, has been accused of being too eager to allow developers to change the skyline.
  • (11) With a high level of English gleaned from an Erasmus stint in Oxford, she was eager to move to London.
  • (12) That report, due July 2 , is eagerly anticipated by both the NSA and its critics, as it is likely to add momentum to either side in the ongoing legislative debate on the scope surveillance.
  • (13) Hence the tearing-off-the-arm eagerness to seize the opportunity.
  • (14) The nuptials drew crowds of fans eager to witness the glitzy event, but they were kept far away from the heavily walled 16th-century fortress, which offers stunning views of Florence and surrounding Tuscan hills.
  • (15) Kipsang will be running in London in one of the most eagerly anticipated races in history.
  • (16) People eagerly accept such evidence-free claims "because the alternative mean[s] confronting outright mendacity from otherwise respected authorities, trading the calm of certainty for the disquiet of doubt".
  • (17) I'm sure that advisers are at fault: mediocre people with PR degrees, eagerly advising on how to avoid the resentment of the masses.
  • (18) Many are first- or second-generation immigrants from places such as Afghanistan, Poland, Somalia and Nigeria eager to sign up to drive for the US tech company, whose phone-based minicab-hailing app has transformed the taxi industry in 58 countries.
  • (19) Randomized trials comparing BCG and chemotherapy are in progress and are eagerly awaited.
  • (20) To bail themselves out of the NBA's worst crisis of credibility since the Tim Donaghy officiating scandal, the easy part for the NBA will be enlisting the eagerness and financial muscle of Magic Johnson and Mark Walter of the Guggenheim Partners – owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers .

Keen


Definition:

  • (superl.) Sharp; having a fine edge or point; as, a keen razor, or a razor with a keen edge.
  • (superl.) Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features.
  • (superl.) Bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.
  • (superl.) Piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc, ; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
  • (superl.) Eager; vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite.
  • (v. t.) To sharpen; to make cold.
  • (n.) A prolonged wail for a deceased person. Cf. Coranach.
  • (v. i.) To wail as a keener does.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) That the BBC has probably not been as vulnerable since the 1980s is also true – not least because the enemies of impartiality are more powerful, and the BBC's competitors (maimed after a year's exposure of their own behaviour in the Leveson inquiry ) are keen to wreck it.
  • (2) It has me as a listener and I am keen as well on sciences, arts, geography, history and politics, and I belong to two campaigns in Brighton and Chichester against privatisation of the NHS, and with some successes.
  • (3) Theresa May to visit India in signal of trading priorities post-Brexit Read more Cable said India had been keen to expand “ Mode 4 ” market access: the ability to bring in staff – Indian IT experts, for example – as part of trading in services.
  • (4) As corruption consistently ranks as a top concern for Spaniards, second only to unemployment, and with an eye on upcoming municipal and regional elections in the spring, Spain’s political parties have been keen to appear as if they are tackling the issue.
  • (5) He is understood to be keen to remain in the London area.
  • (6) The tech workers are mostly well-paid and keen to live downtown.
  • (7) Some Labour MPs, such as Frank Field and David Miliband, are keen on primaries.
  • (8) Professor Androsov was extremely hospitable and showed a keen interest in the freer exchange of knowledge between American and Soviet surgeons.
  • (9) The government, too, is keen to strike a conciliatory note, at least compared with the strident tones of the Iron Lady's day.
  • (10) Photograph: Peter Beaumont for the Guardian For his part the leader of Hadash, the veteran socialist party in Israel that emphasises Arab-Jewish cooperation, Odeh has now attracted a political star status most obvious on the stump in Lod on Wednesday in the repeated cries of “Ayman!” by shopkeepers and passersby keen to shake his hand or be photographed with him.
  • (11) This seemed contradictory for a government keen on getting people out of their cars, and given that at the time the Treasury finances were relatively healthy.
  • (12) Palaszczuk said she was keen to use her first attendance at a Coag meeting to push for the federal government to “accelerate some of their money towards the states” for the national disability insurance scheme.
  • (13) Even more striking is the stance being adopted by Hagan and her Democratic supporters, who have been as keen to discuss social issues as the Republicans have been to avoid them.
  • (14) Britain's estate agents today report a surge in the number of properties for sale amid signs jittery vendors are keen to strike a deal before next month's general election.
  • (15) It is a game to spend two hours together and enjoy our time together and say: ‘I was happy.’” Guardiola, who will be joined by the former Arsenal and Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta on his coaching staff , is keen to promote players from City’s junior ranks.
  • (16) May is thought to have been keen to examine more closely the role of Chinese companies in the project amid concerns about the impact on national security and despite her predecessor David Cameron’s strong support for Hinkley .
  • (17) Ian Livingstone is not all that keen on being photographed near the life-sized model of Lara Croft in his study – even though he was largely responsible for launching her on the world nearly 20 years ago, and the heroine of the Tomb Raider video games, comics and films helped to make his fortune.
  • (18) We were very keen to preserve the silhouette of the Leadenhall building [Cheesegrater],” says Richards.
  • (19) The Russians are also keen on it.” A Trump adviser confirmed the president-elect’s intention to meet Putin very soon and said that Reykjavik was under active consideration.
  • (20) At the same time, he is keen to do everything in his power to help Palace pick up three crucial points, right down to giving Pulis chapter and verse on the Cardiff players he knows inside out.