What's the difference between keen and whet?

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.

Whet


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To rub or on with some substance, as a piece of stone, for the purpose of sharpening; to sharpen by attrition; as, to whet a knife.
  • (v. t.) To make sharp, keen, or eager; to excite; to stimulate; as, to whet the appetite or the courage.
  • (n.) The act of whetting.
  • (n.) That which whets or sharpens; esp., an appetizer.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) In each instance, the interest in foreign models was whetted by a perceived social emergency: the heroin epidemic following World War II and the HIV epidemic of the last decade.
  • (2) I’ll be back soon with more build up and team news, but for now get your thoughts, predictions and pedantry coming in to @KidWeil or graham.parker.freelance@guardiannews.com and to further whet your appetite, here’s what happened when these sides last met, during the semi-final round of World Cup qualifiers last September - have we mentioned the Grind™ of Concacaf qualification yet?
  • (3) We'd found some great beaches but these had only whetted our appetites.
  • (4) I've had a good few chats with them and it's whetted my appetite.
  • (5) All the men in attendance wore purple gladioli in the pockets, a huge picture of Oscar Wilde presided over the ceremony, and before Julie entered the room in her cream wedding dress, the intro music Morrissey uses for his live shows whetted the appetite of the guests.
  • (6) Our interest in the question has been whetted by the finding to date of some eight possible examples of a founder effect in studies of twelve different tribes.
  • (7) I know scientists have got to whet the appetite for future publications, but this is just too tantalizing.
  • (8) He returns to our screens later this month in Drake Doremus's New York based drama Breathe In , so to whet your appetite we're taking a look at five of his best performances.
  • (9) Until February 14 and then February 28 with concessions, according to the old familiar routine, tossed to us to whet our appetite for hope and further waiting.
  • (10) Here's a little sample to whet your appetite … • Derek Malcolm on Kieslowski ahead of a film season celebrating his work in 2003.
  • (11) Cresswell also has a production company, Open Mike Productions, whose series of comedy shows starring Michael McIntyre, another Cresswell client, single-handedly whetted broadcasters' new-found appetite for standup.
  • (12) The data are discussed in the context of the effects of priming as a form of appetite whetting.
  • (13) While the emphasis is on medical and nursing libraries, other libraries of various types and sizes are included in order to whet the appetites of librarians visiting Boston in 1966.
  • (14) If anything, an accomplished debut only whetted the appetite for more.
  • (15) Managing a team again, albeit for an exhibition before the Fifa Congress, had whetted Mourinho’s appetite for a return to coaching.
  • (16) Finally, the public's appetite is whetted by the increasing number of heritable diseases whose molecular basis is being elucidated.
  • (17) 7.59pm BST I'm already two pies down and have whetted my appetite with the Hairy Bikers' Norway montage.
  • (18) Twofour's precursor to Educating Yorkshire, Educating Essex, appeared on C4 two years ago, and whetted the appetite for a sequel.
  • (19) From this point on, the great drama in his life and work consisted of his battle to frustrate journalists and would-be groupies, whose interest in his life had been whetted by what seemed to them – not without reason – the autobiographical element in his fiction.
  • (20) "This game is whetting my appetite, especially after Portugal's less than impressive performance earlier.