knowingknow‧ing /ˈnəʊɪŋ $ ˈnoʊ-/ adjective [only before noun] 
He gave us a knowing look. She exchanged a knowing smile with her mother.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "I heard what you were saying," Maya said with a knowing smile.
- Her questions and knowing looks unnerved him, almost as if she had figured him out.
- I saw him give her a knowing smile as she left the room.
Longman Language Activatorto know something that most people do not know
to know secret information about something, for example a government plan or someone's private life, that only a small group of people know: · I heard it from someone who's in the know, so it must be true.· Those who were in the know bought land where the railway was to be built, and made enormous profits.· The people in the know are saying that the team doesn't have enough money to keep Wojek for another season.
informal to know about a secret plan or activity that only a small group of people know about, especially when you are involved in it: · The children are planning a surprise for Grandma. Are you in on this?· It turned out that some of the local cops were in on the deal too.let somebody in on something (=tell them about a secret): · We made the mistake of letting my sister in on the plan, and she, of course, told my parents.
especially written to know about something that is kept a secret from most people, especially because someone trusts you enough to tell you about it: · She became a confidante of Churchill, and thus was privy to some of his thinking.· The Division was not privy to all the information being collected in Saigon.
: knowing look/smile/wink etc a look, smile etc that shows that you know something that other people do not know or that you share a secret with someone: · I saw him give her a knowing smile as she left the room.· Her questions and knowing looks unnerved him, almost as if she had figured him out.
ways of saying that no one knows something · Maybe the world will end tomorrow. Who can say?· He might come back and say he still loves me, who knows? Who cares?who knows/who can say what/where/why etc · Who knows whether Mimi ever made it to Paris.
spoken say this when you mean that it is impossible to know something: · "Where'd she go?" "God knows."God knows/heaven knows what/who/why etc: · I've just missed my train, so God knows what time I'll get home now.· Heaven knows why she feels she can't trust her own parents.
spoken say this when neither you, nor anyone else knows the answer to a question or the truth about something, and any answer could be correct: · How he'd lived through it all is anybody's guess.it's anybody's guess who/what/why etc: · It's anybody's guess who will come out on top when the winners are announced at the Grammy Awards this year.
spoken say this when it is impossible to know what will happen, especially when you are worried that something bad might happen: there's no telling/knowing who/what/why etc: · "He's a desperate man. There's no telling what he'll do next," said Holmes.· There was no knowing when the flood waters might recede with so much rain in the forecast.
spoken say this when someone asks you a question and you do not know the answer, so that they are just as likely to guess the right answer as you are: · "Who do you think will win the World Cup?" "Your guess is as good as mine."
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He gave us a knowing look. She exchanged a knowing smile with her mother.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES There’s no knowing what this lunatic will do next. ‘You look tired,’ he said with a knowing wink.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
He gave us a knowing look. She exchanged a knowing smile with her mother. (=used to say that you expect someone to behave in a particular way because you know them well) Knowing Sumi, my note’s probably still in her pocket. He’ll be chatting up the women, if I know Ron!
Knowing Sumi, my note’s probably still in her pocket. He’ll be chatting up the women, if I know Ron! There’s no knowing what this lunatic will do next. (=when you know something secret)· She wanted to smack him for his knowing smile.
‘You look tired,’ he said with a knowing wink.· You've done it now, she thought, numbing herself against Lucy's inevitable knowing look and dismissive laugh.· The girl had a knowing look.
· Nate Cocello allowed a knowing smile to cross his face at what he knew would be the natural reactions of line managers.· Harry, for his part, exchanged a knowing smile with Papaioannou, then went on in the direction of the village.· Glancing surreptitiously around, she glimpsed knowing smiles and heads drawn close as people whispered.· When Gwen gave a rather knowing smile, she blushed scarlet.· You would have been forgiven for a knowing smile then, but now acid rain is no laughing matter.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► knowing my luck
- If we go there's no knowing.
- Otherwise there's no knowing just how many more he would have killed.
- Knowing his luck, he'll get hit with a golf ball or something.
WORD FAMILYadjectiveknowingknowledgeableknown ≠ unknownnounknowledgethe unknownadverbknowingly ≠ unknowinglyknowledgeablyverbknow
showing that you know all about something, even if it has not been discussed directly: He gave us a knowing look. She exchanged a knowing smile with her mother.