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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knave
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
Alice begs for the knave’s freedom, putting herself in danger.
—Liesbeth Powers, Dallas News, 27 May 2023
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
Alice begs for the knave’s freedom, putting herself in danger.
—Liesbeth Powers, Dallas News, 27 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knave
Noun
-
New threats emerge, including a ruthless new villain (Bill Skarsgård) and a blind assassin from Wick’s past, played by Donnie Yen in a standout performance.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
6 June 2025
-
Nicholas Hoult plays the film’s villain, the megalomaniac super-genius Lex Luthor.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
Cops released surveillance photos of a trio of brutes wanted for punching, repeatedly stabbing and robbing a man on a Bronx train last month.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
-
Meanwhile, Conner was still battling his brute of a blue cat.—
Bob McNally,
Outdoor Life,
21 May 2025
Noun
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Seven people were kicked out of the courtroom by O’Hare for speaking out of turn and calling members of the court racists and devils.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2025
-
Rich flavors of maple syrup, golden syrup, red cherries and devil’s chocolate cake in this 17% alcohol late harvest wine.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Aptly credited, The Stranger (Brian Villalobos) is only part of that problem and not the centerpiece practical effects portion of this film that monster fans should look forward to.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
8 June 2025
-
These are no longer simple monster features with slight tints of horror.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
6 June 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
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Like a Dickensian Andy Capp, Johnson is an uber-charming rogue, an everyman bluesy belter whose winking humor with a hint of the scoundrel are not entirely unlike Scott’s demeanor, though each man’s vocals, inflection and stage presence are/were clearly their own.—
Katherine Turman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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In the first, Trump treated a moral hero as an ungrateful scoundrel.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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
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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 18 Jun. 2025.
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