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as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily don't be so quick to characterize people who have trouble with computers as simple

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective simple contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of simple are easy, effortless, facile, light, and smooth. While all these words mean "not demanding effort or involving difficulty," simple stresses ease in understanding or dealing with because complication is absent.

a simple problem in arithmetic

When could easy be used to replace simple?

The meanings of easy and simple largely overlap; however, easy is applicable either to persons or things imposing tasks or to activity required by such tasks.

an easy college course

In what contexts can effortless take the place of simple?

While the synonyms effortless and simple are close in meaning, effortless stresses the appearance of ease and usually implies the prior attainment of artistry or expertness.

moving with effortless grace

How are the words facile and easy related as synonyms of simple?

Facile often adds to easy the connotation of undue haste or shallowness.

facile answers to complex questions

When is light a more appropriate choice than simple?

Although the words light and simple have much in common, light stresses freedom from what is burdensome.

a light teaching load

When is it sensible to use smooth instead of simple?

The synonyms smooth and simple are sometimes interchangeable, but smooth stresses the absence or removal of all difficulties, hardships, or obstacles.

a smooth ride

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of simple Taxes are never simple, nor quick to fix, but need to be top of mind during crypto week. Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025 These patterns are muted, simple, and still full of personality, like this pillow cover in indigo which looks exactly suited to a couch in a captain’s quarters, yacht-appropriate, or like a great porch nap pillow along a white rattan sofa. Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 11 July 2025 Nearby is the kitchen, which is compact and simple as standard. New Atlas, 11 July 2025 The simplest ideas in mathematics can also be the most perplexing. Leila Sloman, Wired News, 29 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for simple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simple
Adjective
  • Opponents and legal scholars maintain that the plain meaning and historical intent of the 14th Amendment protect those children's citizenship, and federal courts have repeatedly ruled against the Trump administration's interpretation.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
  • As a departure from the era of plain skinny ties, Lauren's wide, colorful neckties broke the mold, and his company grew from there.
    Diane J. Cho, People.com, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Both WestJet and Hawaiian Airlines said their operations were unaffected by the hacks.
    Sean Lyngaas, CNN Money, 28 June 2025
  • Russian Security Council deputy chairman of Dmitry Medvedev also said Iran's critical nuclear infrastructure appeared to be unaffected or to have sustained only minor damage.
    Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • In many ways, the time trial is the purest form of cycling — a body and a bike, alone against the clock, but its engineering focus means that wealthier teams often excel.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 July 2025
  • Happening in early May, the festival’s events are pure Americana.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • This foldable stool is easy to move and store for extra table space.
    Jacqueline Tempera, People.com, 7 July 2025
  • But gamblers are required to keep up with their losses themselves—and the IRS often asks them to back up those claims, something that’s not always easy.
    Chris Morris, Fortune, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • Modern takes on the tankini and boy short offer nostalgia without being too naive and are also seen from Candice Swaenpoel’s Topic of C line or Hunza G’s colorful styles.
    Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 27 June 2025
  • Yet such arguments are either geopolitically naive or disingenuous.
    Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • Consequently, many of those enslaved in Texas remained ignorant of the proclamation’s potential impact on their lives, or of the fact the Civil War had functionally ended two months earlier.
    Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 16 June 2025
  • Careless or ignorant reporting has obscured objective reality.
    Nicholas DiMarzio, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
    Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
  • Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
    Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017
Adjective
  • One sleeve covers your arm, while the other arm is bare, giving you the chance to show off your shoulders and stay cool, just a tiny bit out of your comfort zone.
    Katrina Cossey, Parents, 8 July 2025
  • This comes after Williams put handcuffs around her son's wrists and ankles while punishing him for refusing to pick up dog waste in the yard with his bare hands, according to a copy of the mother's indictment.
    Chris Spargo, People.com, 8 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Simple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simple. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

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