Background

What are knife dreams about?

Knives are tools. They can be used to cut bread and prepare dinner. They can be used to craft new objects. They are also weapons. As a weapon they can be quite daunting because the use of a knife requires closeness. The DreamWell Dream Dictionary is based upon insights from 1,200 dream symbols in over 200,000 dreams. Let’s see what the data has to say about knife dreams.

The word cloud above shows the words that are specifically associated with knife dreams. These are the words that make knife dreams unique compared to all other dream symbols. Just examining the graph and reading the words of knife dreams can be illuminating about show knives affect our dreams. Be sure to check out the example knife dreams at the bottom of the page.

The circular bar chart above shows how knives in a dream will affect dream content as compared to other dream symbols. Higher bars indicate that knife is more related to the specific symbol in the graph. Lower bars indicate that knife is less related to the specific symbol in the graph. Specifically, knife dreams have more touch than 98.0% of dream symbols, more death than 97.1% of dream symbols, and more pain than 96.1% of dream symbols. On the other hand, knife dreams have less sadness than 81.6% of dream symbols, less natural places than 81.4% of dream symbols, and less love than 81.4% of dream symbols. Notably, knife dreams might be nightmares! Though even if these dreams are nightmares, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are bad dreams or that knives is a bad thing to dream about. It just means that dreams of knives are more likely to be nightmares than dreams of other things. Furthermore, dreams of knives are aggressive! Knife dreams have more aggressive interactions than 80% of all of the other dream symbols. Aggressive interactions involve attacks, arguments, yelling, pushing, killing, and so on. These dreams can be scary, stressful, or confusing. But, as with all dreams, it is best to explore what is there. Why was there aggression? Was it really aggression? Also, knife dreams are about death. Better stated, knife dreams contain more death and dying than 90% of all other dream symbols. Dreams help us process our emotions, understand our fears, and grieve. Death in a dream is not necessarily a bad thing. Dreaming of death can help us overcome fears or say good bye to loved ones. But, then again, dreams of death might simple just be dreams. Furthermore, dreams of knives have more words related to touch than 90% of all other dream symbols. In other words, knife dreams involve directly interacting and feeling another person or object. Finally, dreams of knives are usually described as bad dreams. This does not necessarily mean that all knife dreams are bad. It is just that dreaming of knives might increase the chance that it is a bad dream. Every dream is unique. These are general patterns observed in an analysis of over 200,000 dreams. This analysis is a tool to help you make sense of your dreams. It is best to look at the differences. See how your dream of knives is different than dreams of knives in general.

2.5%

of dreams have knives

How common are knife dreams?

2.5% of dreams have the knives symbol within the dream. That's about 1 out of every 40 dreams. Considering all the dream symbols, it is relatively common.

Identification

How are knife dreams identified?

This symbol is identified by words like knife. This symbol is part of summary dream symbols things and weapons.

Most related

What is most related to dreams of knives?

Knives dreams are notable because they have substantially more stabbing, verbs, Gimli, emaciation, aggressive acts, C-3PO, Frodo, calluses, castration, cutting, taking lives than 95% of other dream symbols.

Least related

What symbols least related to dreams of knives?

Knives dreams are notable because they have substantially less abscesses, Iceland, Jamaica, Kuwait, ladybugs, landslides, Laos, lizard people, Luke Skywalker, magnifying glasses, Morocco than 95% of other dream symbols.

Deep dive into knife dreams

Get an overview of characters, emotions, places, events, dream events, and senses in knife dreams.

Who is in dreams of knives?

Who is in dreams of knives?

Knife dreams are more related to unnamed people, more related to strangers, and more related to family than dreams in general. They are less related to insects and less related to romantic partners.

the same as usual
less than usual
more than usual
the same as usual
more than usual
the same as usual
more than usual
less than usual
What are the emotions in dreams of knives?

What are the emotions in dreams of knives?

Knife dreams are more related to fear, much more related to pain, and more related to hatred than dreams in general. They are less related to happiness, less related to sadness, and less related to grief and sorrow.

less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
more than usual
much more than usual
more than usual
less than usual
less than usual
Where do dreams of knives take place?

Where do dreams of knives take place?

Knife dreams are more related to home than dreams in general. They are less related to work, less related to human-made places, and less related to transportation.

more than usual
less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
the same as usual
less than usual
What happens in dreams of knives?

What happens in dreams of knives?

Knife dreams are much more related to aggressive acts, much more related to death, and more related to health events than dreams in general. They are less related to disasters and less related to eating and drinking.

much more than usual
the same as usual
the same as usual
less than usual
less than usual
much more than usual
more than usual
How do dreams of knives related to the type of dream it is?

How do dreams of knives related to the type of dream it is?

Knife dreams are much more related to nightmares and much more related to bad dreams than dreams in general. They are less related to lucid dreams, less related to recurring dreams, and less related to weird dreams.

less than usual
much more than usual
less than usual
the same as usual
much more than usual
less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
the same as usual
How do dreams of knives related the senses?

How do dreams of knives related the senses?

Dreams of knives are much more related to touch than dreams in general. They are less related to taste and less related to vision.

the same as usual
the same as usual
less than usual
less than usual
much more than usual

How can you make sense of knives in dreams?

Knife dreams are relatively common. Among other things knife dreams are nightmares, aggressive, about death, focused on touch, and bad dreams. Do you think this is true for your dream of knives? How might your dream of knives be different?

All dreams have meaning

All dreams have meaning

You can gain insight from thinking about any dream, no matter how strange. Only you, as the dreamer, have final say on what your dream may or may not mean. Each dream is unique.

Look for the differences

Look for the differences

The DreamWell dictionary provides information on how each dream symbol appears in dreams in general. Finding how experience knives in dreams can be a key to understanding its meaning.

Return to the feelings

Return to the feelings

Our emotions in dreams can help us understand its meaning. Pay attention to how you felt in the dream. Pay attention to how you feel about knives in dreams. See how you feel about knives now, in your waking life.

An interpretation of knife dreams

An interpretation of knife dreams

This interpretation is from ""The Dream Interpretation Dictionary: Symbols, Signs, and Meanings" and is provided by J.M. DeBord aka "RadOwl". He is the author of several acclaimed books about dreaming, the host of The Dreams That Shape Us podcast, and is a moderator of r/Dreams, one of the largest dream sharing communities on the internet. The symbolism of a knife in a dream can connect with associations like “sharp,” “close,” and “cut.” An incisive intellect is “sharp as a knife.” Cutting with a sharp knife can symbolize getting to the heart of a matter or getting to the point, as in the phrase, “Cut to the chase.” Cutting someone with a knife requires close proximity. To be close to someone in a dream can mean closeness in the personal sense, such as a close friend or relative. So a knife is more likely to be used as a weapon when a dream tells a story about something or someone close and personal. Knife fights in dreams can symbolize intense, heated situations. Knife fights rarely play out as they do in the movies, where it looks more like dancing or boxing. Instead, they’re usually brief, up close, and brutal. The situation symbolized as a knife fight can be something that’s already happened, or something you fear will happen. For example, you know that breaking up with your significant other is going to be an intense situation, or that a confrontation with your sibling about a family matter is going to be heated. Cutting in a dream can symbolize wounding, as in, “Her comment cut to the bone.” This use of the symbolism of a knife will usually be accompanied by fighting, cutting, and wounding. Marks on the physical body from a knife symbolize marks on the emotional body, on the psyche. It hurts! See: Fighting, Wounds Think of what can be wounded in the figurative sense. Pride and reputation can be wounded. Self-image can be wounded. Emotions can be wounded. Dreams show these sorts of wounds as physical when really they are personal, emotional or psychological. Cutting and stabbing are associated emotions like anger, frustration, and bitterness. When related back to the previous idea of having to be close to someone to cut or stab him or her, it can mean that someone close has really hurt you, or vice-versa. For example, a woman stabs a man in the heart while coldly looking him in the eyes. See: Former partners Up close can also mean “engaging.” Though fighting with knives often has negative associations, it can mean simply that you are trying to get a point across or engage someone. For example, a teacher tries to engage students with the course material, and to do so he or she comes up with “sharp” analogies. The difference in symbolism is obvious in how it plays out in a dream. Cutting can mean “cut off,” as in cut off support or cut off relations. You’re done, finished. This use of the symbolism is more likely when a rope, cord, or arm is cut. An intense dream where the dreamer observes his sister cut their brother’s throat symbolizes that she doesn’t want to hear what either brother has to say about the man she plans to marry. The brothers know the guy is a player, but the sister is blinded by love. Cutting your own throat can mean “ruin your chances” or sabotage your life. This symbolism can be projected onto a dream character that represents you. Throwing a knife at someone can symbolize hurling nasty comments, insults, and sharp words. Words cross the distance between people as sound waves, so throwing a knife is an apt metaphor when those words are meant to cause harm. Also consider the idea of crossing the distance of time to engage with a memory of someone who hurt you. Basically, you’re fighting with a memory. A dream about defending yourself from someone with a knife can symbolize defending yourself from harm, or from verbal or personal attacks. But again, remember that most dream characters represent something about you, so a person with a knife might represent the ways you criticize yourself, or some part of yourself that has turned hostile toward you. Defending yourself in a dream can mean you want to maintain some sort of illusion about yourself, keep something repressed, or deny a fact. For example, a woman dreams about going into the basement of her childhood home and finding a homicidal child armed with a knife. It symbolizes her inner child that’s hostile because it’s hurt and she’s ignoring it. Looking for a knife with which to defend yourself can mean you feel the need to defend yourself personally or physically. For example, you have a dispute with a neighbor and wonder whether the person is capable of creeping into your house late at night to harm you. The fear plays out in a dream in a scenario where you fear someone is in your house, and you look for a knife to defend yourself. A knife is used as symbolism because the neighbor is someone who lives close to you. But also consider the ways you protect yourself from the world, from misfortune, from intrusion. See: Intruders A Swiss Army knife can symbolize taking different approaches to solving a problem. See also: Dissecting, Former partners, Intruders, Surgery, Wounds

Examples of dreams of knives

Reading dreams is one of the best ways to understand dream symbols. Even though the DreamWell Dream Dictionary is based upon data, it is grounded in the experience of reading thousands upon thousands of dreams. We invite you to read examples of knife dreams for yourself. These dreams are actual dreams people have had. As result, they may contain racist, sexist, violent, or otherwise offense language and imagery. This can be true even for knife dreams. Read at your own risk.

DreamWell logo

Explore your own dreams.

Download the free DreamWell app to start journaling your dreams.

Download now