KENNING Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

kenning 1 of 2

noun

Definition of kenning

chiefly Scottish

as in halfpenny

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Dissimilar Words

kenning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of ken, chiefly Scottish

as in fathoming

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Dissimilar Words

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 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 My favorite parts of the book are those where there's a new kenning. — 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

Definition of halfpenny

Verb

For starters, even though federal law requires hospitals to list their prices publicly, fathoming these files is almost impossible.

— Rufina Chow, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
However, Chiefs veteran center Creed Humphrey says his team won't be listening to those, or even fathoming the thought of panicking.

— Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Nov. 2025

Definition of fathoming

Noun

Monday was a perfect example, when the two biggest drags on the S&P 500 were Nvidia and Micron, but were offset almost to the penny by gains in Apple and Meta, helping the index itself to finish a whisper from unchanged.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Lance Leipold has heard the whispers through the years that perhaps Kansas’ football coach doesn’t place enough emphasis on the yearly Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of whisper

Verb

An artist and musician by trade, Hunt brought an outsider’s instinct to the architectural blueprint of Fashion Forward, perceiving early on that creative industries rarely exist in isolation outside of corporate org charts.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
While linear broadcasters, like streamers, are still perceiving YouTube as a major disruptor and challenger, a number of them have started working more closely with the platform to tap into younger demographics and generate new advertising revenue.

— Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of perceiving

Noun

Tiny bugs float in the sun like dust motes, and there are graceful flies large enough to require a runway landing.

— John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Sunbeams through the windows illuminate floating dust motes—and, imperceptibly, microdroplets of mucus carrying the measles virus, expelled from an infected but asymptomatic child who is hopping and laughing among the others.

— Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026

Definition of mote

Verb

The film cuts between Murray cautiously opening the suspicious package and FBI agents apprehending Kaczynski decades later.

— Jane LaCroix, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
One deputy suffered minor injuries while apprehending Cody Frank, while another was treated for possible fentanyl exposure after taking one of the suspects to jail, authorities said.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of apprehending

Noun

In 1999 a group led by Austrian physicist Anton Zeilinger confirmed that fullerenes, large molecules consisting of 60 carbon atoms, behave just the same.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Scientists at the University of Oxford developed a quantum network using two different atoms, strontium and calcium, and achieved a record entanglement time of 10 seconds.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of atom

Verb

The opening brings Polène closer to its West Coast customer base as the company continues to expand internationally, following recent openings across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

— Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Jayendu Krishna, a director at Drewry Maritime Advisors, said none of the major container shipping lines had resumed services through Hormuz since suspending operations following the outbreak of the war in February.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of following

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Style

“Kenning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kenning. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of kenning

noun

verb

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