knife
Americannoun
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knives
plural
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an instrument for cutting, consisting essentially of a thin, sharp-edged, metal blade fitted with a handle.
-
a knifelike weapon; dagger or short sword.
-
any blade for cutting, as in a tool or machine.
verb (used with object)
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knifes,
present (3rd person singular)
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knifed,
past participle, past
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knifing
present participle
-
to apply a knife to; cut, stab, etc., with a knife.
-
to attempt to defeat or undermine in a secret or underhanded way.
verb (used without object)
-
knifes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
knifed,
past participle, past
-
knifing
present participle
idioms
noun
-
a cutting instrument consisting of a sharp-edged often pointed blade of metal fitted into a handle or onto a machine
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a similar instrument used as a weapon
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to have a grudge against or victimize someone
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to make a bad situation worse in a deliberately malicious way
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people are determined to harm or put a stop to someone
the knives are out for Stevens
-
undergoing a surgical operation
verb
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to cut, stab, or kill with a knife
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to betray, injure, or depose in an underhand way
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
knifesimple
-
knifessimple
-
have knifedperfect
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has knifedperfect
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am knifingprogressive
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are knifingprogressive
-
is knifingprogressive
-
have been knifingperfect progressive
-
has been knifingperfect progressive
Past
-
knifedsimple
-
had knifedperfect
-
was knifingprogressive
-
were knifingprogressive
-
had been knifingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of knife
before 1100; Middle English knif, Old English cnīf; cognate with Dutch knijf, German Kneif, Old Norse knīfr
Explanation
A knife is a sharp tool that's used for slicing or cutting. We suggest using a knife as a kitchen tool instead of as a weapon. A bread knife has a long, serrated edge, and the blade of a pocket knife folds into its handle so you can safely carry it in your pocket. Surgeons use very small knives to make delicate cuts during operations, and various kinds of knives are sometimes used as weapons. To knife, in fact, is to stab or cut with a knife, almost always in a violent way.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But while Mosley captivated once again and Maiava came alive, it was Gary Patterson and the Trojans’ defense that really twisted the knife in a dominant 39-0 win for USC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Away from the dock, I sat down with a tray of oysters and a stabby, plastic-handled knife.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
The company is even investigating lasers and ultrasound as potentially speedier methods of slicing pizzas than a traditional knife blade.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
“As a boy, I’d start weeping. And boys don’t cry; I’d blubber. I couldn’t help it — it was like a knife going into me. And my father said, ‘What’s the matter with you?’
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Don’t worry, I’ll see you get overtime,” she added, pulling a wheel from her cauldron as we stepped in, placing it on a tray prepared with butter, salt, a sharp knife, and two plates.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
It was also uniquely hazardous because waste in dumpsters can include items such as knives, glass, needles, batteries and vermin, Menchaca said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Handheld multitools are a great item to keep on hand, with many options featuring various knives, bottle openers, screwdrivers, and even scissors.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
His custom-built cutlery bins, meanwhile, are exactly proportional to the length of his spoons and knives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Why did he keep a box of knives under his bed?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
I picture myself sitting in class, all the kids from cooking club glaring knives at me.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
And then he retraced his steps across the 150-foot wide thoroughfare that knifes through the heart of the city along what once was the Red Car line of the Pacific Electric Railway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to Kilburn police station in north west London, Mr Sunak said there was "no reason" why such knifes should be on the streets.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2023
Take Can a woman win the election: a sly, mean, ego-saving little canard that knifes both its subject and its verb in order to spare the real actor here.
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2020
I picture her crumpling into the nearest chair the way one sometimes does when bad news knifes through that thin veil of hope mixed with denial.
From New York Times ● Sep. 14, 2016
There was all sorts of sharp and dangerous-looking blades and razors and knifes setting behind where the barber stood whilst he was cutting hair.
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Rickea Jackson, with her wiry strength and burst, knifed past defenders as Dearica Hamby mixed bruising post work with feather-soft finishes and Azurá Stevens — the most versatile of the bunch — filled every gap.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2025
Al-Shifa was the same hospital where Jihad had been born five months earlier — five months of searching all day for a little food, of nearly getting knifed over a little flour.
From New York Times ● Apr. 23, 2024
Evans knifed to the basket for a layup that gave capped a 9-0 run and gave Chicago its first double-digit lead at 30-19 early in the second quarter.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 22, 2023
He pointed his arms to the clear spring sky, knifed by the vapor trails of passing airplanes.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 16, 2023
Below the Wheel Tower, they made a wide turn and knifed through the churning water.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
The Hawks stutter-stepped and jabbed their way to the free throw line with deft ease, knifing the hosts from beyond the arc when they weren’t dancing inside the key.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 4, 2022
He didn’t shy from knifing through traffic and taking the ball to the basket, oftentimes hitting the floor hard.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 24, 2022
They make it look easy: crisp gymnastics through the air, knifing impact with the water and barely a splash upon entry.
From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2021
The 66-year-old president was taken to the Sao Paulo hospital for treatment relating to an obstructed intestine following the 2018 knifing.
From Reuters ● Jul. 18, 2021
“Don’t turn the light on—” she said hastily, fearing the harsh, knifing blast of fluorescence.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
