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Synonym Chooser

How is the word artless different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of artless are ingenuous, naive, natural, and unsophisticated. While all these words mean "free from pretension or calculation," artless suggests a naturalness resulting from unawareness of the effect one is producing on others.

artless charm

When is it sensible to use ingenuous instead of artless?

While the synonyms ingenuous and artless are close in meaning, ingenuous implies inability to disguise or conceal one's feelings or intentions.

the ingenuous enthusiasm of children

When would naive be a good substitute for artless?

Although the words naive and artless have much in common, naive suggests lack of worldly wisdom often connoting credulousness and unchecked innocence.

politically naive

Where would natural be a reasonable alternative to artless?

While in some cases nearly identical to artless, natural implies lacking artificiality and self-consciousness and having a spontaneousness suggesting the natural rather than the man-made world.

her unaffected, natural manner

When might unsophisticated be a better fit than artless?

The synonyms unsophisticated and artless are sometimes interchangeable, but unsophisticated implies a lack of experience and training necessary for social ease and adroitness.

unsophisticated adolescents

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 artless The untenable toxicity of this artless warfare has led some researchers to rethink the ancient script—and flip it: know yourself, know your enemy. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 15 July 2024 His desire to control his own story may account for why his book about his years hiding under the fatwa, 2012’s Joseph Anton: A Memoir, was so artless, a tome of grievances and gripes; that was Great Man Rushdie laying claim to his own existence as intellectual property. Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024 Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo are Patricia and Michel, the gamine and the criminal, simultaneously artless and deliberate. Ew Staff, EW.com, 7 May 2024 His pictures look perfectly artless, the opposite of the decisive moment and the epitome of the snapshot aesthetic. Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 See All Example Sentences for artless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artless
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
  • Herbert includes a range of moments, from earnest attempts to talk about the enslaved people that maintained all these palatial homes to clumsier ones in which they are referred to as workers, insinuating that their labor was paid for instead of forced.
    Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025
  • The aftermath of Virginia’s clumsy tumble into a rose bed where her exposed cleavage is profusely pricked by thorns lasts for all of one scene.
    Courtney Howard, Variety, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • Today's audiences—both Hispanic and non-Hispanic—are savvy, diverse, and crave genuine representation and storytelling.
    Isaac Mizrahi, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • Coach Wall was a remarkable individual whose kindness and genuine spirit touched all who knew him.
    Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • And even if that feels rude by the standards of today, people were forced to answer her questions and answer to the things that the public wanted to know.
    Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 23 June 2025
  • There are so many things that can be off or what if just the woman walks in and just is not attracted to the guy or the man is rude to the waiter.
    Steve Baltin, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • The simplest ideas in mathematics can also be the most perplexing.
    Leila Sloman, Wired News, 29 June 2025
  • When the drink is this simple, there’s nowhere for sub-par ingredients to hide.
    Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • In other dealings early Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 15 cents to $65.37 per barrel.
    Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
  • About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • The people of Maryland deserve an honest conversation — not one driven by fear or false urgency.
    Joanne Frederick, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2025
  • Ananda Lewis’ voice cut through silence like light through mist—bold, unwavering, and luminously honest.
    Essence, Essence, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Avoid scrubbing the microwave’s interior with rough materials like steel wool or abrasive sponges.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
  • Ransom Canyon star Josh Duhamel didn’t have a rough time getting to know the set of his new film Off the Grid because the actor lives off the grid in real-life.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Artless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artless. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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