English Meaning & Definitions
An exclamation expressing surprise, mild astonishment, or realization upon discovering something unexpected.
- “What do you know, it actually stopped raining just in time for the parade.”
- “I found my missing keys right in the refrigerator—what do you know!”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “what do you know”.
An idiomatic phrase derived from standard interrogative English elements dating back to the late 19th or early 20th century. Originally used literally to inquire about someone's knowledge or news, it evolved colloquially as an exclamation of surprise, mild wonder, or confirmation when encountering an unexpected fact.
Imagine yourself reacting with surprise to an unexpected piece of news and saying aloud: 'What do you know!'
Frequently Asked Questions About “what do you know”
1. What is the meaning of “what do you know” in English?
In English, what do you know (interjection) is defined as: “An exclamation expressing surprise, mild astonishment, or realization upon discovering something unexpected.”.
2. How do you use “what do you know” in a sentence?
“What do you know, it actually stopped raining just in time for the parade.”
3. What are English synonyms of “what do you know”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “what do you know”?
An idiomatic phrase derived from standard interrogative English elements dating back to the late 19th or early 20th century. Originally used literally to inquire about someone's knowledge or news, it evolved colloquially as an exclamation of surprise, mild wonder, or confirmation when encountering an unexpected fact.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.