Keen
Keen adjective - Having or showing quickness of mind.
Usage example: readers who were keen enough to realize that the writer was being satirical
Smart is a synonym for keen in ability topic. In some cases you can use "Smart" instead an adjective "Keen", when it comes to topics like perceptive, acute.
Smart
Smart adjective - Having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment.
Usage example: a smart investment that has really paid off
Keen is a synonym for smart in ability topic. You can use "Keen" instead an adjective "Smart", if it concerns topics such as characterisitc, intelligent, stinging, clever.
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
| hair | keen hair | smart hair |
Both words in one sentence
- In more sympathetic portrayals, the smart character is good underneath, but made cynical and bitter by his keen intellect, which allows him to see that the world sucks.
Source: Dumb Is Good -
Smart Ball: It seems that before she was expelled from school, Ace paid keen attention to her computer science lessons.
- Red: How would you like your keen eye to watch my sure foot kick your smart ass?
Cite this Source
Smart and Keen. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/keen/smart
Keen & Smart. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/keen/smart>.
Smart or Keen. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/keen/smart.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "keen" and "smart" have occurred on timeline