as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
he plays the role of the duplicitous knave who tries to foil the play's hero
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of knave
How does history distinguish knaves from legendary figures?
—
W.e. Gutman, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2025
The modern health insurer is regarded as either a knave or a pawn and is seldom regarded as a knight.
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Human beings are motivated by virtue (knights) or rigid self-interest (knaves), or are passive victims of their circumstances (pawns).
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Implications Le Grand's work on post-World War II British social policy found that perceptions of human motivations gradually transformed, with the prevailing view of the typical British citizenry morphing from knight into knave as the costs of maintaining an expensive welfare state increased.
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Still, our heroes are not traditional heroes but rather scoundrels and knaves and outcasts, all of whom have complex inner turmoil and compelling character arcs.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
The modern health insurer is regarded as either a knave or a pawn and is seldom regarded as a knight.
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Human beings are motivated by virtue (knights) or rigid self-interest (knaves), or are passive victims of their circumstances (pawns).
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Still, our heroes are not traditional heroes but rather scoundrels and knaves and outcasts, all of whom have complex inner turmoil and compelling character arcs.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
W.e. Gutman, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2025
The modern health insurer is regarded as either a knave or a pawn and is seldom regarded as a knight.
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Human beings are motivated by virtue (knights) or rigid self-interest (knaves), or are passive victims of their circumstances (pawns).
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Implications Le Grand's work on post-World War II British social policy found that perceptions of human motivations gradually transformed, with the prevailing view of the typical British citizenry morphing from knight into knave as the costs of maintaining an expensive welfare state increased.
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Still, our heroes are not traditional heroes but rather scoundrels and knaves and outcasts, all of whom have complex inner turmoil and compelling character arcs.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
The modern health insurer is regarded as either a knave or a pawn and is seldom regarded as a knight.
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Human beings are motivated by virtue (knights) or rigid self-interest (knaves), or are passive victims of their circumstances (pawns).
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Still, our heroes are not traditional heroes but rather scoundrels and knaves and outcasts, all of whom have complex inner turmoil and compelling character arcs.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knave
Noun
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Temuera Morrison plays a terrific villain as the murderous King Kahekili.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Year: 2009 Director: Tony Scott Runtime: 1h 44m A remake of the 1974 subway-hijack thriller is inferior in just about every way, particularly with its villain, played by a way-too-jacked-up John Travolta.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But Madsen was born to be the Lee Marvin of the 1990s — the kind of laconic brute who spoke softly and carried a sharp straight-razor.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
3 July 2025
-
The novel is often rhapsodic about its alpha brutes, but, toward the end, Frey turns the tables.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
The San Diego Zoo has cared for Tasmanian devils off and on since the 1950s.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Tasmanian devils are carnivorous marsupials found only on the island of Tasmania off Australia.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Second-year defensive tackle Isaiah Iton enjoyed an up-and-down day, jumping offsides during individual and team drills, notching a run stuff and monster win in 1-on-1 pass rush.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The luxury, 387-room hotel, located in Tokyo's Roppongi Hills complex, is collaborating with the Nintendo, the parent company of Pokémon, to give its fans the ultimate respite this summer: a few nights surrounded by their favorite pocket monsters.—
Jalyn Robinson,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2023
-
Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change.—
Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz,
Anchorage Daily News,
29 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
For more than two millennia, the promise of alchemy—and, specifically, transmuting ordinary elements into valuable ones—has intrigued scientists and scoundrels alike.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
9 Aug. 2025
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Star Wars Outlaws This first open world Star Wars game is set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and follows scoundrel Kay Vess seeking freedom and a new life.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Since then, he’s been a haunted wretch of a character: stoned, sullen, stuck with recurring visions of shooting his wife and himself.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The unfortunate wretch makes an exciting escape, killing her captor in the process.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knave. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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