Definition, synonyms and related words
simple past tense of know
"She knew that she had left her umbrella on the porch before it started to rain."
In plain English: Knew is the past tense of know, meaning you had information about something before.
"I knew that he was going to be late because his car broke down."
Usage: Use "knew" to describe an action or state of understanding that happened in the past. It serves as the simple past tense form of "know" and should not be confused with the present tense "know."
Knew is the irregular past tense form of know, which derives from Old English cnāwan with the original meaning to recognize or be acquainted with something. It shares its root with German kennen and Dutch kennen, all stemming from a Proto-Germanic base related to understanding or knowing by heart.