1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
those unknowing people who think that the world is a kindly place are in for a rude awakening
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unaware
not informed about or aware of something
the poor woman has been the unknowing target of some pretty vicious gossip
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unknowing
Now axe-wielding and neck-snapping murderers, the duo have launched into a flesh-seeking rampage, honey-bent on killing not just their former human friend but descending on four unknowing college students staying at home in the woods.
—
Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2022
Pity the unknowing curiste who confuses a resident of the city, a Vichyssois, with a supporter of Pétain’s government, a vichyste.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022
Cheung in 1997 watched the handover unfolding on television as an unknowing 4-year-old kindergartner enjoying steamed fish.
—Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022
Their names and emails can then be used by bad actors to target them in various email schemes that can harm unknowing customers.
—Daniel Barber, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for unknowing
Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2022
Pity the unknowing curiste who confuses a resident of the city, a Vichyssois, with a supporter of Pétain’s government, a vichyste.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022
Cheung in 1997 watched the handover unfolding on television as an unknowing 4-year-old kindergartner enjoying steamed fish.
—Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022
Their names and emails can then be used by bad actors to target them in various email schemes that can harm unknowing customers.
—Daniel Barber, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for unknowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowing
Adjective
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The film follows hopeful, naive college freshman Devon, who asks the cool and confident Celeste to be her roommate.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, Mary, the most naive of the trio, remains blissfully unaware that anything is amiss.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet up to 60% of people with thyroid disease remain unaware of their condition because fatigue, mood changes, and weight shifts get attributed to stress or aging before testing is even considered.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Mar. 2026
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A day later, people out playing with their kids at Two Trails Park Friday morning were unaware that a man had just been arrested and charged with an attempted murder, after allegedly attacking a woman there with a knife.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When a strange man lurks around the school asking supposedly innocent questions and the principal receives a severed human finger in the mail, the community is in an uproar.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
-
His huddles at times resemble a family Sunday supper after the conversation turns to politics – everyone yelling, nobody listening, Izzo’s face reddening and a whiteboard left broken, the innocent victim of all the arguing (though they are rumored to be pre-cut to avoid splintering).—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Having access to knowledge and being able to collectively reflect are rights too precious to surrender to those who prefer us ignorant.—
Megan Thiele Strong,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
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What’s going on is that the bank and its customer service reps are ignorant of the law.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The play unfolds as a series of battles, where the unaccomplished George and the bitterly disappointed Martha exchange vicious and demeaning insults, using Nick and Honey as the unsuspecting pawns in their war for supremacy.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
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The wetlands had been sold decades earlier as useless swamp, mostly to unsuspecting northerners with little regard for the powerful benefits that wetlands provide humans.—
Jenny Staletovich,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Our heroines must somehow rescue themselves as well as an oblivious third party, while keeping the host unaware of their presence.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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Despite his contemporary fellow Scotsman James Watt inventing the steam engine the same year that The Wealth of Nations was published, Smith was strangely oblivious as to the coming Industrial Revolution, as there was nothing yet automated in this pin factory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The rooms Hotel Thaynes has 128 guest rooms, including six king suites, each designed for simple mountain stays with subtle pops of colors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
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Such a vote — which is bound to fail but would put senators on the record — differs from using a simple majority to change the Senate rules, a vote a senator could force after an unsuccessful vote to break a filibuster.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Don José is an inexperienced Spanish soldier who falls in love with the seductive Gypsy, Carmen.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
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Dangerous rip currents are expected at regional beaches, prompting officials to warn against swimming, especially for inexperienced swimmers.—
Joaquin Palomino,
San Francisco Chronicle,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unknowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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