keening

[ kee-ning ]

noun

1. the act of a person who keens. keen.
2. a wailing lament for the dead; keen.

Word History and Origins

Origin of keening¹

First recorded in 1875–80; keen ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The tone of his voice is high, a keening sound.

From BBC

When she sang on Coleman’s 1972 LP “Science Fiction” — keening improvisation cutting through a ferocious band — the sax legend gave her a warning about America.

From Los Angeles Times

After a few moments of keening in the dark, Howze reaches his denouement in song: “I’m trying to be,” he sings.

From New York Times

Mr. Sonnier’s virtuoso accordion work and his vocals, by turns keening and supple, infused the country airwaves in the late 1980s with Cajun, rock, swamp-pop and jazz sensibilities.

From New York Times

The whale groaned, that keening sound that Razi couldn’t quite hear.

From Literature

Related Words

• bawl
• blubber
• howl
• lament
• sob
• wail