Synonyms of knowing

knowing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈnō-iŋ 

1

as in aware

having inside information

exchanged a knowing look with her business partner during the sales presentation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aware
• alerted
• wise
• alert
• informed
• in the know
• prepared
• hip
• ready
• warned
• observing
• observant
• watchful
• vigilant
• forewarned
• attentive
• clued (in)
• with-it
• open-eyed
• sharp-eyed
• sharp
• plugged-in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unaware
• oblivious
• unconscious
• uninformed
• unknowing
• unwitting
• unmindful
• heedless
• unprepared
• unwary
• unready

2

as in smart

having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment

knowing movie producers do not invest their own money in their risky ventures

Synonyms & Similar Words

• smart
• experienced
• wise
• astute
• savvy
• veteran
• sharp
• shrewd
• keen
• intelligent
• clever
• brilliant
• heady
• hardheaded
• cunning
• discerning
• quick
• canny
• clear-eyed
• subtle
• bright
• clear-sighted
• slick
• tricky
• wily
• perceptive
• artful
• insightful
• crafty
• sly
• cagey
• sharp-witted
• calculating
• sagacious
• hard-boiled
• discriminating
• devious
• alert
• percipient
• sage
• resourceful
• sapient
• dodgy
• foxy
• perspicacious
• discriminative
• guileful
• scheming
• apt
• pawky
• ingenious
• nimble
• agile
• brainy
• quick-witted
• sharp-sighted
• sharp-eyed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unknowing
• innocent
• naive
• ingenuous
• guileless
• artless
• gullible
• exploitable
• unwise
• dense
• simple
• stupid
• dumb
• unperceptive
• slow
• obtuse
• foolish
• dull
• ignorant
• silly
• thoughtless
• feebleminded
• unintelligent
• dopey
• uninformed
• idiotic
• brainless
• brain-dead
• imbecile
• weak-minded
• witless
• moronic
• thickheaded
• lamebrain
• gormless
• softheaded
• empty-headed
• knuckleheaded
• slow-witted
• dim-witted
• airheaded
• thick-witted
• half-witted
• lunkheaded
• birdbrained

3

as in conscious

made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing

a knowing waiver of his rights

Synonyms & Similar Words

• conscious
• deliberate
• voluntary
• intended
• intentional
• willed
• willful
• purposeful
• planned
• calculated
• purposive
• witting
• reasoned
• set
• advised
• thoughtful
• considered
• designed
• weighed
• optional
• studied
• volunteer
• measured
• premeditated
• elective
• discretionary
• premeditative
• prepense

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• chance
• unintentional
• inadvertent
• random
• accidental
• incidental
• unwitting
• sudden
• necessary
• haphazard
• nondeliberate
• aimless
• purposeless
• nonpurposive
• desultory
• mandatory
• required
• impetuous
• abrupt
• compulsory
• involuntary
• forced
• ordered
• hit-or-miss
• obligatory
• spontaneous
• instinctive
• casual
• impromptu
• coerced
• impulsive
• extemporaneous
• nonelective
• unforced
• unpremeditated

4

as in considered

decided on as a result of careful thought

with knowing equivocation, the witness responded to the question without really answering it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• considered
• calculated
• deliberate
• reasoned
• advised
• careful
• studied
• weighed
• planned
• thoughtful
• informed
• measured
• intended
• thought-out
• intentional
• premeditated
• designed
• educated
• meticulous
• aforethought
• purposeful
• prepense
• projected
• prudent
• forethoughtful
• foresighted
• provident

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• chance
• casual
• random
• unadvised
• unstudied
• unconsidered
• uncalculated
• haphazard
• sudden
• rushed
• aimless
• hurried
• purposeless
• automatic
• desultory
• hasty
• ill-advised
• spontaneous
• instinctive
• hit-or-miss
• half-cocked
• impetuous
• abrupt
• impromptu
• extemporaneous

knowing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of know

1

as in understanding

to have a practical understanding of

a career diplomat who knows several languages

a fan who really knows baseball

Synonyms & Similar Words

• understanding
• comprehending
• grasping
• appreciating
• perceiving
• possessing
• apprehending
• cognizing
• fathoming
• having
• following
• savvying
• kenning
• catching on (to)
• picking up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• misunderstanding
• misinterpreting
• misperceiving
• misconceiving
• misapprehending
• misknowing

2

as in experiencing

to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it

knows full well how nerve-racking it can be to speak in public

Synonyms & Similar Words

• experiencing
• having
• undergoing
• seeing
• enduring
• feeling
• suffering
• witnessing
• sustaining
• passing
• tasting
• receiving
• going through
• encountering
• accepting
• meeting
• digesting
• assimilating

3

as in seeing

to have a clear idea of

I think I know what you're trying to say

Synonyms & Similar Words

• understanding
• seeing
• deciphering
• recognizing
• comprehending
• appreciating
• grasping
• realizing
• getting
• perceiving
• sensing
• discerning
• conceiving
• making
• intuiting
• apprehending
• beholding
• assimilating
• cognizing
• seizing
• digging
• registering
• decoding
• tumbling (to)
• catching
• catching on (to)
• grokking
• making out
• compassing
• twigging
• savvying
• picking up on
• digesting
• cottoning (to or on to)
• absorbing
• fathoming
• taking in
• penetrating
• piercing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• missing
• misunderstanding
• mistaking
• misinterpreting
• misreading
• misconstruing
• misperceiving
• misconceiving
• misapprehending

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of knowing

Adjective

The supposedly knowing and intending AI now becomes a political actor. — Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

His trademark smirk and knowing stare are now feared by any opponent up against Norway, but don’t be fooled into thinking Haaland isn’t serious about his career. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Verb

Not knowing how a problem will be solved can sometimes feel frighteningly similar to believing it can’t be solved. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Nov. 2026

Our hearts are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him. — Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2026