guileless

adjective

guile·​less ˈgī(-ə)l-ləs 

: innocent, naive

a straightforward man with a guileless smile

guilelessly adverb

guilelessness noun

Synonyms of guileless

• unaffected
• genuine
• honest
• innocent
• simple
• true
• naive

Examples of guileless in a Sentence

she was an easygoing, guileless young woman who was comfortable just being herself

Recent Examples on the Web

The child is as smart and cunning as Dunk is thick and guileless. —Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026

Ardies plays Hulda, a guileless girl, full of excitement at the prospect of womanhood. —Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 6 Dec. 2025

The key for all these people has been a great smile — broad, toothy, guileless — to emphasize the schism between the Others’ experience of togetherness and Carol’s deepening loneliness. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025

There’s a comic aspect to her confusion—chronic shushers will be triggered to the point of distraction—which only reveals the utterly guileless depth of Buckley’s absorption in the role. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see guile

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

guileless

adjective

guile·​less ˈgī(ə)l-ləs 

: not sly or tricky : innocent, naïve

a guileless person

a guileless smile

guilelessly adverb

guilelessness noun