knew

verb
UK: /njuː/
US: /nuː/

  1. Past tense of 'know'. To be aware of something; to have information in your mind.

    1. I knew her name before you told me. [ ] [ ]
    2. She knew the answer, but she didn't want to tell the teacher, because the other pupils would laugh. [ ] [ ]

  2. To have met someone before; to be familiar with a person.

    1. I knew him from school years ago. [ ] [ ]
    2. She knew several of the people at the party, which made her feel more relaxed. [ ] [ ]

  3. To understand something; to be able to use your knowledge to do something.

    1. He knew how to fix the car. [ ] [ ]
    2. The experienced programmer knew exactly what the problem was and solved it quickly. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

understood perceived

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "knew" in English means: Past tense of 'know'. To be aware of something; to have information in your mind., To have met someone before; to be familiar with a person., To understand something; to be able to use your knowledge to do something..

The phonetic transcription of "knew" is /njuː/ in British English and /nuː/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "knew": understood, perceived.

Example usage of "knew": "I knew her name before you told me.". More examples on the page.