Standard Lemma guide

knifelike

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: N AY1 F L AY2 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Resembling a knife or its effects.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The patient reported a knifelike pain in his abdomen.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

having a sharp or distinct edge

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a narrow knifelike profile

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

cutting or able to cut as if with a knife

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

painful as if caused by a sharp instrument

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a cutting wind
  • keen winds
  • knifelike cold
  • piercing knifelike pains
  • piercing cold
  • piercing criticism
  • a stabbing pain
  • lancinating pain

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cutting, keen, piercing, stabbing, lancinate, lancinating

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an acute observer of politics and politicians
  • incisive comments
  • icy knifelike reasoning
  • as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang
  • penetrating insight
  • frequent penetrative observations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: acute, discriminating, incisive, keen, penetrating, penetrative, piercing, sharp

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English knife Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-West Germanic *-līk Old English -līċ Middle English -like English -like English knifelike From knife + -like.