knowingly

/ˈnəʊɪŋli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnəʊɪŋli/ (ame, ipa)

knowingly — 副詞

1. Done with a facial expression, tone, or gesture that reveals your awareness of s

1.副詞B2
釋義

會意地

透過神情或動作讓對方知道已明白某事

Done with a facial expression, tone, or gesture that reveals your awareness of something — especially something unspoken or private that others might not expect you to know.

例句

Élise gave her brother a knowingly amused smile when their mother mentioned the party.

Élise 對哥哥露出一個會意的微笑，因為母親提到了派對的事。

collocation: knowingly + adjective (knowingly amused)

The librarian nodded knowingly as the children tried to hide a torn page.

圖書館員心照不宣地點點頭，看著孩子們想藏起撕破的那頁書。

同義詞
  • significantly

    used similarly for meaningful looks, but broader and less tied to facial expression

  • meaningfully

    strong emphasis on conveying a hidden message, slightly more formal

反義詞
  • innocently

    showing no special awareness or understanding

文法句型

verb + knowingly (after the verb)

knowingly + adjective (before an adjective)

用法筆記

This sense almost always describes facial expressions, gestures, or tones of voice — it does not describe performing an action with knowledge or skill. Common patterns are 'smile knowingly', 'nod knowingly', 'wink knowingly', and 'look knowingly at someone'.

常見錯誤

❌He knowingly read the book.' (when meaning 'with understanding')
✅He understood the book well.
💡'Knowingly' in this sense describes expressions and gestures, not the manner of doing an activity.

2. in a way that is done on purpose, with full awareness of the likely consequences

2.副詞B2
釋義

故意地

明知後果仍有意為之

in a way that is done on purpose, with full awareness of the likely consequences — often used when talking about breaking rules, lying, or causing harm.

例句

The driver knowingly ran a red light because he was rushing to the hospital.

司機故意地闖紅燈，因為他急著趕去醫院。

adverb before verb for intentional actions

No one would knowingly drink sour milk, but Owen did not check the date.

沒有人會故意喝酸掉的牛奶，但 Owen 沒檢查日期。

同義詞
  • deliberately

    more neutral in tone; covers both positive and negative intentions

  • intentionally

    slightly more formal than 'deliberately'; emphasises purposefulness

  • willfully

    strongly negative connotation; implies stubborn determination to do wrong despite knowing better

  • on purpose

    informal; common in spoken English, less precise about awareness of consequences

反義詞

文法句型

knowingly + verb (before the verb)

用法筆記

Frequently appears in legal and formal contexts to distinguish intentional acts from accidental ones. In everyday speech, it often carries a negative connotation, especially about deception or rule-breaking. It is less commonly used for neutral or positive intentional actions.

常見錯誤

❌She knowingly tripped over the rug by accident.
✅She tripped over the rug by accident.
💡Use 'knowingly' only for intentional actions, not accidents.
❌He knowingly knew the answer.
✅He knew the answer.
💡'Knowingly' is redundant with 'knew' since both convey awareness.