knowing en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈnoʊɪŋ/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˈnəʊɪŋ/ (UK)
- /naːɪn/ (Northumbria)
Etymology
From know + -ing.
Meanings
-
Possessing knowledge or understanding; knowledgeable, intelligent.
The knowing and intelligent part of the world.
1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
- Deliberate, wilful.
-
Shrewd or showing clever awareness; discerning.
a knowing rascal
-
(archaic) Demonstrating knowledge of what is in fashion; stylish, chic.
Tom thought his cap a very knowing affair, but confessed that he had a hat in his hat-box; which was accordingly at once extracted from the hind-boot, and Tom equipped in his go-to-meeting roof, as his new friend called it.
1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days:‘I was a raw boy from College, and fancied it very knowing to marry a girl that all the young fellows of my acquaintance reckoned so confounded handsome.’
1792, Charlotte Smith, Desmond, Broadview, published 2001, page 173:
-
Suggestive of private knowledge or understanding.
Jon and Tyrion greet each other with the words that have been used against them as weapons, sharing a knowing smile.
2017 July 30, Ali Barthwell, “Ice and fire finally meet in a front-loaded episode of Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club:As family entertainment, it’s all perfectly fine. There are plenty of callbacks to the original to delight young fans (including a catchy new song from Shakira’s Gazelle) and plenty of knowing jokes for the adults in the audience.
2025 November 25, Caroline Siede, “Zootopia 2 is a stagnant sequel with one stellar subplot”, in AV Club:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more knowing | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most knowing | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (38)
hu szándékos (deliberate) · hu ravasz (shrewd) · ka მოხერხებული (shrewd) · hu okos (intelligent) · la sciens (intelligent) · la sciens (suggestive of private knowledge) · es disused: esciente (intelligent) · hu értelmes (intelligent) · es sabiente (intelligent) · hu akaratlagos (deliberate) · hu sokatmondó (suggestive of private knowledge) · tr bilir (intelligent) · hu eszes (intelligent) · hu dörzsölt (shrewd) · gd seòlta (shrewd) · ka მცოდნე (intelligent) · gd seòlta (intelligent) · ka მარჯვე (shrewd) · tr bilen (intelligent) · hu beavatott (suggestive of private knowledge) · bg знаещ (intelligent) · ga seanchríonna (intelligent) · es sabido (intelligent) · hu élelmes (shrewd) · es cognoscente (intelligent) · otk 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰼 (intelligent) · es conocedor (intelligent) · es sabedor (intelligent) · bg сръчен (shrewd) · es conociente (intelligent) · hu agyafúrt (shrewd) · hu szemfüles (shrewd) · bg похватен (shrewd) · xqa بِلْكا (intelligent) · bg умишлен (deliberate) · es cognociente (intelligent) · mi aweko (suggestive of private knowledge) · sv medveten (deliberate)