kenning 1 of 2

chiefly Scottish

kenning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of ken, chiefly Scottish

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kenning
Noun
This is a kenning that evokes a natural transition to darkness and also an unfinished human endeavor. Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024 The kenning’s true meaning lies beyond the edges of my comprehension. Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024 My favorite parts of the book are those where there's a new kenning. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023 Most of the writers attempting to imitate Tolkien weren’t steeped in the rhythm of Old English kennings, or the spiritual yearning of chivalric romance. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023 Weinersmith has successfully captured the spirit of this timeless story, weaving in generous amounts of alliteration and his version of Old English kennings, a compound figure of speech that replaces a common noun with two or more words that make for a more figurative than literal description. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kenning
Noun
  • Indeed, in 2023, his music earned him just shy of $200,000, about one halfpenny at a time.
    Brett Martin, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
  • In nineteenth-century England, tailors would place old halfpennies in the pockets of a man’s new suit for good luck.
    Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023
Noun
  • Both Louisiana singers luxuriate at the point where a whisper becomes a coo, and both have crafted gossamer pop with Swedish producers.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 June 2025
  • Jean-Pierre is one of many associates who was close to the former president when whispers of his cognitive decline came to a head during a June 2024 debate in which the Democrat struggled to make sense.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • These active hunters, rather than passively perceiving their environment, require sharper vision to locate and capture prey.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2025
  • However, perceiving the existence of Assyrians in Iraq as stable is a grave misunderstanding.
    Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • This is similar in size to the icy particles in Saturn's rings, for example, and the ice is likely frozen around motes of interplanetary dust.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 May 2025
  • Reactivate to speed back to your beacon as a mote of pure light.
    Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The new brown dwarfs also exhibit signals from an unidentified hydrocarbon, a chemical compound composed solely of hydrogen and carbon atoms.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 June 2025
  • In contrast, precisely determining the effects of the strong force (which usually holds the nuclei of atoms together) is much harder and is the least theoretically constrained among all g−2 calculations.
    Eleni Petrakou, Scientific American, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • The most memorable offerings didn’t care a whit about product-testing strategies.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
  • Vie comes on the heels of Doja’s 2023 album Scarlet, whit hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Major stock markets in Asia and Europe rose today in trading following the announcement of electronics exemptions.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Swim in a direction following the shoreline.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Oyun-Erdene’s supporters say his ouster had three drivers: Firstly, and with a dash of irony, his relentless pursuit of official graft, including a draft law his cabinet just submitted that would compel all public officials to justify their income.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 13 June 2025
  • The group performs classic rock covers — with a dash of Murray’s between-song charisma, naturally.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 11 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kenning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kenning. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on kenning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!