KNAVES Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

knaves

noun

plural of knave

as in villains

a mean, evil, or unprincipled person he plays the role of the duplicitous knave who tries to foil the play's hero

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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 knaves Try for yourselves, ye witless knaves— Take each to bed your Sally! — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knaves

Noun

The ’90s were an era of event villains, characters who came preinstalled with their own company-wide impact.

— Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Anthony Hopkins has played villains and popes, presidents and dictators, titans of literature and comic book kings.

— Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of villains

Noun

These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.

— Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of brutes

Noun

Boxing is fun especially when the boxer in question is beating up criminals in East London.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Working together to track these flows would reduce the chance that international criminals can extend their reach beyond any single jurisdiction.

— Alvin Camba, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of criminals

Noun

In 2025, two Tasmanian devils arrived at the Australian Outback exhibit.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Tasmanian devils suffer from Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), a highly fatal cancer spread by biting, which has devastated their population and surprisingly arose twice.

— John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of devils

Noun

Players command Hawks, a former Republic officer, leading a customizable squad of diverse archetypes, including Jedi and scoundrels.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
And the surviving cartel scoundrels take the parting shot by kidnapping beloved Carter, putting a hood on him and taking the boy off.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Definition of scoundrels

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knavery

knaves

knavish

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“Knaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knaves. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of knaves

noun

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