knave
gb/nˈeɪv/ us/nˈeɪv/
C1
English
~ 8400
gazember, bubi
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
1
gazember
B2
Usage pattern:
to call [someone] a knave
The play opens with a noble duke betrayed by a smiling knave at his side.
A darab egy olyan jelenettel kezdődik, amelyben egy nemes herceget a mellette álló, mosolygó gazember árul el.
Only a knave would steal from a family that has shown him such kindness.
Csak egy gazember lopna meg egy családot, amely ilyen kedves volt hozzá.
He called the merchant a knave and a cheat before storming out of the hall.
History, he argued, was written by knaves who wished to hide their crimes.
You knave, how dare you lie to your own king?
Learner examples
In the old story, a rich man loses all his money to a knave.
A régi történetben egy gazdag ember minden pénzét elveszíti egy gazember miatt.
The hero knows that the man at the door is a knave and cannot be trusted.
A hős tudja, hogy az ajtóban álló férfi gazember, és nem lehet megbízni benne.
The angry lord shouts, "You knave!" at his servant.
The book uses many old words like "thee," "thou," and "knave."
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "knave" is a normal, modern insult that can be used in everyday conversation. In reality, it sounds old-fashioned or theatrical and is usually found in classic literature, historical dramas, or fantasy stories. Learners may also confuse it with "naive" (which means innocent or inexperienced) or spell it like "knife" because of the silent 'k'.
Meaning
dishonest or unprincipled man
Collocations
lying knave
|you knave
|worthless knave
|cowardly knave
|base knave
Synonyms
scoundrel (Common modern word for a dishonest or immoral man; less old-fashioned than "knave".)
|
rogue (Can sound playful or affectionate in modern use, while "knave" sounds more serious or theatrical.)
Antonyms
gentleman (Suggests a man who behaves with honor and good manners, the opposite of a "knave" in older or literary style.)
|
honest man (Directly contrasts with the idea of a dishonest or unprincipled man.)
Themes
people
|morality
|insults
|literature
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A man who lies, cheats, or behaves very badly, used mostly in old stories or formal, dramatic speech.
A man who is dishonest, untrustworthy, or behaves in a deliberately unfair or immoral way, especially in older or literary language.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
2
bubi
A2
Usage pattern:
the knave of [suit]
The old pack still marked the card as the knave of hearts rather than the jack.
A régi pakliban a lapot még „knave of hearts”-ként jelölték, nem „jack”-ként.
In this traditional game, the knave of clubs carries a special penalty.
Ebben a hagyományos játékban a treff bubi külön büntetést von maga után.
She smiled as she turned over the knave of spades and won the trick.
Collectors were excited to find a Victorian deck where all the jacks are labeled as knaves.
The rules state that the knave of diamonds must always be played if a diamond is led.
Learner examples
This old card game book talks about the knave of hearts.
Ez a régi kártyajáték-könyv a kőr bubiról beszél.
In modern cards we say "jack", but this box says "knave".
A modern kártyákon azt mondjuk, hogy „jack”, de ezen a dobozon az áll, hogy „knave”.
He lays down the knave of spades on the table.
My grandfather still calls the jack the knave when we play cards.
Common mistake:
Learners may think that a knave is a different rank from a jack, when in fact it is simply an older name for the same card. They may also assume the word is common in modern card games, but most people now say "jack," and "knave" mainly appears in old decks, rule books, or historical references.
Meaning
playing card also called a jack
Collocations
knave of hearts
|knave of clubs
|knave of diamonds
|knave of spades
|face cards and knaves
Synonyms
jack (The standard modern term for this card; "knave" is old-fashioned and mostly found in traditional contexts or older decks.)
Antonyms
ace (Another distinct rank in a card deck; often viewed as the most powerful card, contrasting with the middle-ranking knave/jack.)
Themes
games
|leisure
|cards
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Definition
An old name for the jack card in a pack of cards, showing a man and coming between the ten and the queen.
In some older or traditional card decks, a court card representing a male figure ranked between the ten and the queen, equivalent to the jack.
Grammar
Dictionary form
knave
IPA
GB/nˈeɪv/
US/nˈeɪv/
Syllables & stress
knave (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (knave)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: knave
- Plural: knaves
Word family
Forms
knaves
noun
Advanced or less common
knavish
adjective
knavery
noun
Expressions
the Knave of Hearts
1/ðə nˈeɪv əv hˈɑɹts/
fixed phrase
literary
the jack of hearts, as a character
The jack of hearts card, especially when it is used as a character in stories like the nursery rhyme or in Alice in Wonderland.
Examples
- In the nursery rhyme, the Knave of Hearts steals the Queen's tarts.
- The trial of the Knave of Hearts is one of the funniest scenes in Alice in Wonderland.
- The costume party included a Queen of Hearts and a Knave of Hearts from the classic tale.