knave
[ neyv ]
/ neɪv /
noun
an unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest person.
Cards.
jack1(def 2).
Archaic.
- a male servant.
- a man of humble position.
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.
Words nearby knave
knapsack,
knapsack problem,
knapweed,
knar,
knarly,
knave,
knavery,
knavish,
knawel,
knead,
knebworth house
Example sentences from the Web for knave
British Dictionary definitions for knave
knave
/ (neɪv) /
noun
Derived forms of knave
knavish, adjective knavishly, adverb knavishness, nounWord Origin for knave
Old English
cnafa; related to Old High German
knabo boy