knavish

adjective

ˈnā-vish How to pronounce knavish (audio)
Definition of knavishnext
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness a knavish bunch of urchins racing pell-mell through the marketplace

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of knavish Wells could be playful, knavish, and his tone here is one of urgency and optimism about the distribution of information. — BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2021 The same people who are now telling us that only Republican-voting obscurantists, ignorant deplorables and knavish right-wing media pundits are raising doubts about the vaccine would have been oozing skepticism. — Gerard Baker, WSJ, 12 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knavish
  1. mischievous
  2. wicked
  3. playful
Adjective
  • The former child star played mischievous middle child Randy Taylor on the Tim Allen sitcom.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • Catching mischievous agents in real time The Hugging Face incident reveals the importance of real-time monitoring.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 24 July 2026
Definition of mischievous
Adjective
  • Ben Affleck and a Jeopardy alum are putting their wicked smarts to good use.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026
  • Alli Logout of the punk band Special Interest and rising pop producer Margo XS join forces on a club record whose messy hedonism is matched only by its wicked sense of humor.
    — Cameron Cook, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026
Definition of wicked
Adjective
  • Adventure seekers should make time for Xplor’s zip lines and underground cave system, while Xenses provides a playful take on nature complete with optical illusions.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a playful but sophisticated spin on the boldness of ambergris and oud.
    — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of playful

Browse Nearby Words

knaves
knavish
knead
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Cite this Entry

“Knavish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knavish. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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