know-nothing

[ noh-nuhth-ing ]

/ ˈnoʊˌnʌθ ɪŋ /

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See synonyms for: know-nothing / know-nothings on Thesaurus.com

noun

an ignorant or totally uninformed person; ignoramus.

(initial capital letters)U.S. History. a member of a political party (American party, or Know-Noth·ing party ) prominent from 1853 to 1856, whose aim was to keep control of the government in the hands of native-born citizens: so called because members originally professed ignorance of the party's activities.

a person whose anti-intellectualism, xenophobia, and other political attitudes recall the Know-Nothings.

adjective

grossly ignorant; totally uninformed.

agnostic.

(initial capital letters) of or relating to the Know-Nothings.

of or relating to a political know-nothing.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of know-nothing

First recorded in 1815–25; 1850–55 for defs. 3, 7

OTHER WORDS FROM know-nothing

know-noth·ing·ism, noun

Words nearby know-nothing

Knowledge is power, knowledge worker, Knowles, know like a book, known, know-nothing, Know-Nothings, known quantity, know one's own mind, know one's place, know one's stuff

How to use know-nothing in a sentence

In the meantime, he should just accept that the holdup has nothing to do with his politics.
Conservative Curt Says His Politics, Not His Pitching, Kept Him Out of the Hall of Fame|Ben Jacobs|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I don't know why or who's doing it, but it's the legacy…and it's a legacy that is so important to the culture.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They know they will face either a swift backlash or deafening silence.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What they say is, ‘We don’t approve of violence, but you know what?
Bill Maher: Hundreds of Millions of Muslims Support Attack on ‘Charlie Hebdo’|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

No one seems to know who that is—or why they would want to do such a thing.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She is quite true, but not wise, and your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
The vision—it had been an instantaneous flash after all and nothing more—had left his mind completely for the time.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
He came to the top of the stairs with a lamp in his hand, and wanted to know what the rumpus was about.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
We should have to admit that the new law does little or nothing to relieve such a situation.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
It seems very strange that I shall actually know Liszt at last, after hearing of him so many years.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

British Dictionary definitions for know-nothing

know-nothing

noun

informal, derogatory an ignorant person

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

know-nothing

Origin of know-nothing

OTHER WORDS FROM know-nothing

Words nearby know-nothing

Words related to know-nothing

How to use know-nothing in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for know-nothing