Forms: 1 cénlíce, 2–3 ken(e)liche, 3–4 ken(e)li, 4–5 -ly, 6– keenly. [OE. cénlíce MDu. cœnlijc, -like, MLG. kônlîken, MHG. küenlîche (G. kühnlich): see KEEN a. and -LY2.] In a keen manner.
† 1. Fiercely, boldly. Obs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, Oswald (1890), II. 126. Oswold him com to, and him cenlice wiðfeaht.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 107. Ȝif we kenliche fehtað.
c. 1300. Cursor M., 24769 (Edin.). Selcuþe kenli cuþe he fiht.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 7231. He keppit hym kenely, and coupid to-gedur.
2. Eagerly, ardently.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 859. Fayn sche wold … haue him clipped and kest kenely þat tide.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 5270. What causes ye … so kenly to pray, This syre for to saue.
c. 1400. Melayne, 1286. With dartis kenely owte thay caste.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. xi. 3. Thayr bustuus bowys keynly do thai bend.
† b. Sharply, quickly, in haste. Obs.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1048. Then frayned þe freke … Quhat derne dede had hym dryuen … So kenly fro þe kyngez kourt to kayre al his one.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 945. Þise aungeles … beden hem passe fast & þay kayrene con & kenely flowen.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 1353. Þe kynge callez a clerke kenely on þe morne, Als radly as euer he rose.
3. With, or as with, a sharp edge or instrument; sharply: cuttingly, piercingly.
c. 1592. Marlowe, Massacre Paris, III. iv. Whet thy sword on Sextus’ bones, That it may keenly slice the Catholics.
1645. Milton, Tetrach., To Parlt. To smite so keenly with a reviling tongue.
a. 1794. Sir W. Jones, 1st Nem. Ode Pindar, III. iii. For private woes most keenly bite Self-loving man.
1837. Marryat, Dog-fiend, i. The wind was from the northward and blew keenly.
4. transf. Sharply, piercingly, incisively; a. Of sensuous impressions: Acutely.
c. 1205. Lay., 21296. Þa clupede þe king, kenliche lude.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 635. Thrugh the worlde wente the soun, Also kenely, and eke softe.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 2154. Knyghtez kest vp a cry & kenely þaim mene.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., III. i. The warning note was keenly wound.
1821. Joanna Baillie, Metr. Leg., 154. His brightest hour … More keenly bright than Summer’s settled sheen.
b. Of expression of (critical) opinion, etc.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 14621. Allan iesus þaim stod emid, Keneli to him þai resun did.
a. 1400. Pistill of Susan, 214. Heo … comaunded hem kenely, þe ȝates to close.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxiv. 64. Woman! wher are þo wighte men went That kenely here accused þe?
1841. W. Spalding, Italy & It. Isl., II. 36. The origin of these … monuments has been keenly disputed.
1879. McCarthy, Own Times, II. xxviii. 350. Every detail was keenly criticised.
c. Of the exercise of the organs of sense, the attention, or the intellect.
1824. ‘R. Stuart,’ Hist. Steam Engine, 29. The attention of mechanics, thus keenly directed to the subject.
1845. Disraeli, Sybil (1863), 201. ‘You are right,’ said Morley looking at her rather keenly.
1876. Lowell, Among my Bks., Ser. II. 323. Byron the most keenly intellectual of the three.
5. With reference to feeling: Acutely, intensely, deeply, strongly.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4151. Þan was kniȝtis of þe case kenely affraid.
1792. Anecd. W. Pitt, II. xxviii. 119. Perhaps no gentleman ever felt the poignant sting of ingratitude so keenly.
1849. Ruskin, Sev. Lamps, p. v. There are … cases in which men feel too keenly to be silent.
1876. Green, Stray Stud., 18. No one enjoyed more keenly the pleasures of life and society.
1881. Lady Herbert, Edith, 5. Gordon was keenly interested in the questions of the day.
