know-nothing

noun

know-noth·​ing ˈnō-ˌnə-thiŋ 

1

a

: ignoramus

b

: agnostic

2

capitalized K&N : a member of a 19th century secret American political organization hostile to the political influence of recent immigrants and Roman Catholics

know-nothing adjective

Synonyms

• airhead
• birdbrain
• blockhead
• bonehead
• bubblehead
• chowderhead
• chucklehead
• clodpoll
• clodpole
• clot [British]
• cluck
• clunk
• cretin
• cuddy [British dialect]
• cuddie
• deadhead
• dim bulb [slang]
• dimwit
• dip
• dodo
• dolt
• donkey
• doofus [slang]
• dope
• dork [slang]
• dullard
• dum-dum
• dumbbell
• dumbhead
• dummkopf
• dummy
• dunce
• dunderhead
• fathead
• gander
• golem
• goof
• goon
• half-wit
• hammerhead
• hardhead
• idiot
• ignoramus
• imbecile
• jackass
• knucklehead
• lamebrain
• loggerhead [chiefly dialect]
• loon
• lump
• lunkhead
• meathead
• mome [archaic]
• moron
• mug [chiefly British]
• mutt
• natural
• nimrod [slang]
• nincompoop
• ninny
• ninnyhammer
• nit [chiefly British]
• nitwit
• noddy
• noodle
• numskull
• numbskull
• oaf
• pinhead
• prat [British]
• ratbag [chiefly Australian]
• saphead
• schlub [slang]
• shlub
• schnook [slang]
• simpleton
• stock
• stupe
• stupid
• thickhead
• turkey
• woodenhead
• yahoo
• yo-yo

Examples of know-nothing in a Sentence

often disparaged her coworkers as a bunch of know-nothings

Recent Examples on the Web

The first half hour is filled with the weirdly neutral techno jargon of soldiers jabbering code words into their headphones to what I (as a know-nothing) am tempted to call Mission Control. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025

After the know-nothing county board opts to raze the baseball diamond to make way for a school, the teams meet for one final game at their beloved Soldier’s Field, with girlfriends, kids, and local hooligans as intermittent spectators. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025

Even as Republicans embrace him as an iconoclast, Democrats and other critics have lambasted Kennedy as a know-nothing without the scientific or bureaucratic experience to do the job effectively. —Vox Staff, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025

Instead, Fuego was a know-nothing machine that based its decisions on random choices and statistics. —Jonathan Schaeffer, IEEE Spectrum, 25 June 2014

Who knew the know-nothing King in the North had capitalist ambition? —Zoe Guy, Vulture, 2 July 2024

That end would be a story not so different from the one told by Miles Davis of his encounter with a know-nothing politician’s wife at a White House reception. —Gordon Hughes, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2024

Before appointing Satoshi Morimoto, one of Japan's top national security experts, the current prime minister tapped two know-nothing legislators for the post of defense minister -- a result of paying more attention to party politics than a prospect's ability or vision. —Takashi Yokota, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2012

Have these know-nothings asked Hamas for their freedom? —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for know-nothing

• nothing

Kids Definition

know-nothing

noun

know-noth·​ing

ˈnō-ˌnəth-iŋ

: a person who is ignorant : ignoramus