know-nothing

noun

ˈnō-ˌnə-thiŋ How to pronounce know-nothing (audio)
Definition of know-nothingnext
as in idiot
a stupid person often disparaged her coworkers as a bunch of know-nothings

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 know-nothing The secret is that Spike’s know-nothing naivete encourages us to see the world through the eyes of someone who’s new to every part of it. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 June 2025 Then there are those who rage against their children’s accomplishments, clinging to the hierarchy agreed upon when the child was a helpless know-nothing. — Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025 How did liberal democracy go from being the uncontested winner of the Cold War to a hapless doormat for reality-TV stars and know-nothing podcasters? — Jamie Merchant, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2025 What began as conceptual satire about know-nothing critics with nothing to say became, Heidecker believes, more about the democratization of entertainment and the last days of Hollywood reverence. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2026 How about the Hollywood know-nothings Susan Sarandon or Mark Ruffalo, who have so much to say about the suffering of Hamas terrorists but not a peep for people being brutalized and murdered by actual terrorists? — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for know-nothing
  1. moron
  2. stupid
Noun
  • Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 June 2026
  • Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.
    — Colm Tóibín, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Problem is, even people who know baseball don’t know baseball, which makes betting on baseball stupid.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of stupid

Browse Nearby Words

known
know-nothing
know-nothingism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Know-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/know-nothing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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