knead

verb

ˈnēd 

kneaded; kneading; kneads

transitive verb

1

a

: to work and press into a mass with or as if with the hands

kneading dough

b

: to manipulate or massage with a kneading motion

kneaded sore neck muscles

2

: to form or shape by or as if by kneading

kneadable

ˈnē-də-bəl 

adjective

kneader noun

Examples of knead in a Sentence

Knead the dough until it is smooth.

Recent Examples on the Web

Turn the dough out on top of this and knead for about 4 minutes, or until the dough feels supple. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Jan. 2026

Costumed interpreters encourage hands-on experiences such as dyeing and spinning wool, kneading bread, and trying old-fashioned soda water. —Sarah Miller, Midwest Living, 13 Jan. 2026

Massage guns have become ingrained in the post-workout recovery process, with many people reaching for these handheld percussion massagers to knead out sore muscles. —Korin Miller, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026

Each utensil is cleaned, and the bowl is warmed, dried and filled with three scoops of powdered tea before hot water is added and kneaded with the whisk into a smooth, thick mixture. —The Conversation, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English kneden, from Old English cnedan; akin to Old High German knetan to knead

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for knead

• bead
• bleed
• brede
• breed
• cede
• creed
• deed
• feed
• freed
• greed
• heed
• keyed

Kids Definition

knead

verb

ˈnēd 

1

: to work and press into a mass with or as if with the hands

2

: to treat as if by kneading : massage

kneader noun