The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word EARNEST
E
A
R
N
E
S
T
More clues leading to the result EARNEST
- Serious attention retreat needed
- Advance payment showing sincerity
- Serious musical ability — something birds build up
- Sincere answer Hemingway accepts?
- Serious listener, home later
- Serious eastern winds
- Serious fellow heard
- Serious attention given to twitcher's target?
- Very serious sign of what is to come
- Serious art making money?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Keen" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case keen = earnest.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does EARNEST mean?
EARNEST noun- Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.
- Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to joking or pretence)
- To be serious with; use in earnest.
- (said of an action or an utterance) Serious or honest
- (with a positive sense) Focused in the pursuit of an objective; eager to obtain or do.
- Intent; focused; showing a lot of concentration.
- (said of a person or a person's character) Possessing or characterised by seriousness.
- Strenuous; diligent.
- Serious; weighty; of a serious, weighty, or important nature; important.
- A sum of money paid in advance as a deposit; hence, a pledge, a guarantee, an indication of something to come.
- To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work.
- To receive payment for work.
- To receive payment for work.
- To cause (someone) to receive payment or reward.
- To achieve by being worthy of.
- To curdle, as milk.
- To long; to yearn.
- To grieve.