wide-eyed

adjective

ˈwīd-ˈīd 

1

: having or marked by unsophisticated or uncritical acceptance or admiration : naive

wide-eyed innocence

2

: having the eyes wide open especially with wonder or astonishment

Synonyms of wide-eyed

• naive
• innocent
• inexperienced
• simple

Examples of wide-eyed in a Sentence

a wide-eyed and trusting child

the sort of phony UFO "artifacts" that wide-eyed tourists fall for

Recent Examples on the Web

Jacob Tremblay portrays Kaczynski as a wide-eyed, vulnerable teenager who wants to prove himself so badly. — Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Not my friends, who shook their heads at my schedule, wide-eyed and overwhelmed at the thought of doing it themselves. — Taylor Tomlinson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026

Indeed, Infiniti’s wide-eyed portrait of a prodigy is equal parts inspired and frustrating. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

Thomasin McKenzie plays a young woman, Alyce, steeped in her own trauma and loss, who attaches herself to the ploughman, and her ability to express wide-eyed, barely contained hysteria and fear is unmatched. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wide-eyed

• acetamide
• acetonide
• acidified
• antimonide
• beatified
• benzaldehyde
• borohydride
• chalcogenide
• commodified
• decalcified
• declassified
• disaccharide

Kids Definition

wide-eyed

adjective

ˈwīd-ˈīd

1

: having the eyes wide open especially with wonder or astonishment

2

: naive sense 2