knew of
Was aware about
Knew of indicates awareness of someone or something's existence without direct experience or personal connection.
You might know a person but only knew of their brother.
I knew of the restaurant but had never eaten there.
It implies secondhand or distant familiarity rather than acquaintance.
- acquaintancePerson slightly known
- recognizePerceive as known
- rememberRetain in mind
- realizeBecome aware of
- recallMemory retrieval act
mention · perceive · understand · familiarity · recollect · informed · comprehend · discern · infer · association · deduce · identify · surmise · speculate · assume · intuit · overhear · ring a bell