knave

[neyv]

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noun

an unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest person.

Cards. jack¹(def 2).

Archaic.

a male servant.
a man of humble position.

Nearby words

Origin of knave

before 1000; Middle English; Old English cnafa; cognate with German Knabe boy; akin to Old Norse knapi page, boy

SYNONYMS FOR knave

1. blackguard, villain, scamp, scapegrace. Knave, rascal, rogue, scoundrel are disparaging terms applied to persons considered base, dishonest, or worthless. Knave, which formerly meant merely a boy or servant, in modern use emphasizes baseness of nature and intention: a dishonest and swindling knave. Rascal suggests shrewdness and trickery in dishonesty: a plausible rascal. A rogue is a worthless fellow who sometimes preys extensively upon the community by fraud: photographs of criminals in a rogues' gallery. A scoundrel is a blackguard and rogue of the worst sort: a thorough scoundrel. Rascal and rogue are often used affectionately or humorously ( an entertaining rascal; a saucy rogue ), but knave and scoundrel are not.

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ANTONYMS FOR knave

hero.

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Can be confusedknave naval nave (see synonym study at the current entry)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for knave

And Michel, exploding with laughter, handed Flint a knave of clubs very much soiled.
Daisy's Necklace|Thomas Bailey Aldrich
Commend a fool for his wit and a knave for his honesty, and they will receive you into their bosoms.
Many Thoughts of Many Minds|Various
So that the knave took little notice of it, but laughing at the complaints of the charming creature, asked her to fix the day.
Droll Stories, Complete|Honore de Balzac
Here is a knave of a friar calleth me a mad priest, and yet I smite him not.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood|Howard Pyle

He has not attacked me with the heart of a king, but with the impudence of a knave.
Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 1 (of 3)|Isaac D'Israeli

British Dictionary definitions for knave

knave

noun

archaic a dishonest man; rogue

another word for jack 1 (def. 6)

obsolete a male servant

Derived Formsknavish, adjectiveknavishly, adverbknavishness, noun

Word Origin for knave

Old English cnafa; related to Old High German knabo boy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for knave

knave

Old English cnafa "boy, male servant," common Germanic (cf. Old High German knabo "boy, youth, servant," German knabe "boy, lad," also probably related to Old English cnapa "boy, youth, servant," Old Norse knapi "servant boy," Dutch knaap "a youth, servant," Middle High German knappe "a young squire," German Knappe "squire, shield-bearer"). The original meaning might have been "stick, piece of wood" [Klein]. Sense of "rogue, rascal" first recorded c.1200. In playing cards, "the jack," 1560s.