knave

American  

[neyv] / neɪv /

noun

1. an unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest person.

   Synonyms:

   scapegrace, scamp, villain, blackguard

2. Cards. jack.

3. Archaic.

   1. a male servant.

   2. a man of humble position.

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knave British  

/ neɪv /

noun

1. archaic a dishonest man; rogue

2. another word for jack 1

3. obsolete a male servant

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Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• knavish
  adjective
• knavishly
  adverb
• knavishness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of knave

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

Explanation

You don't hear about knaves much these days: it's an older word for a rascal, a scoundrel, or a rogue. It isn't a compliment. If you read Shakespeare for long, you'll definitely see the word knave more than once. In Shakespeare, an important person like a king or a prince might call a thief a knave. Knaves always tend to be up to trouble. You don't want to trust a knave; knaves lie, deceive, and betray. Today, we might call a knave a "scoundrel" or a "good-for-nothing."

Example Sentences

The 59-year-old star recently read A Kestrel for a Knave, the book that inspired the 1969 film, for BBC Four.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2023

Now the Bard has entered the realm of virtual reality with an immersive video game called Play the Knave, developed by the University of California, Davis.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2016

More problematic is a rule that the hotel regularly imposes at the Knave, a cafe and bar in the northern passageway of the lobby.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2015

Lawrence Till's much revived stage version draws on material from Barry Hines's original novel, A Kestrel For A Knave.

From The Guardian • Aug. 28, 2010

But her attitude toward Knave was far different.

From Lad: A Dog by Terhune, Albert Payson