as in idiot
a stupid person
often disparaged her coworkers as a bunch of know-nothings
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Recent Examples of know-nothing
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
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
Cite this Entry
“Know-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/know-nothing. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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