Definition of artlessnext
1
2

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 Viewers, meanwhile, get artless plots with familiar faces in glamorous locations that offered decent tax incentives. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025 In her practice, Palazzolo focuses heavily on industrial materials as a way of turning things perceived as artless or overtly masculine on their head. Mario Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025 While the naked manicure trend has been reigning supreme among celebrities, Dua Lipa has forwent the current nail artless aesthetic for something altogether more starry and summer-ready. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 May 2025 First adapted for the screen by Otto Preminger in 1958, the film starred David Niven and Jean Seberg, forever conflating the author in the public imagination with the artless allure — and iconic haircut — of Ms. Seberg. Sadie Stein, New York Times, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for artless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artless
Adjective
  • Home internet and Wi-Fi will be unaffected, authorities said.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 May 2026
  • China has continued to purchase Iranian oil during the conflict, analysts say, still importing well over a million barrels per day last month – drawing down stock from floating storage already in Asia and unaffected by the US naval blockade of Hormuz.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Adjective
  • Furthermore, Sharpe spent six months learning how to tinkle the ivories, an impressive commitment which pays off during the pivotal piano battles and ensures a welcome absence of clumsy cutaways from fingers to face.
    Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
  • Then with a little nudging, the clumsy newborn finds the udder bulging between the cow’s back legs and hungrily suckles colostrum so critical for its first feeding.
    Susan Koch, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Adjective
  • With a population of only about 5,000 people − both working class and millionaires alike − the eagles are a frequent local topic, both because of the international attention but also because so many locals are genuine fans.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 May 2026
  • Locals, even some hardened to the realities of big-time sports, bought into Kiffin’s genuine affection for the people and the place.
    Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Adjective
  • If Pan American Airways represented, at its height, victory and suavity, the country achieving a kind of European state of grace, then Spirit was the exact opposite—synonymous with the rowdy and the rude at the heart of the American character.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
  • But please don’t be that rude person calling over and over to someone who is not available at the time.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
Adjective
  • So there is no real secret behind the scenes—just to work, to be honest, to meet personally with the people, to look into their eyes.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
  • Stability grows through honest and thoughtful adjustments.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
Adjective
  • The useful answer may be simpler than expected once the real priority becomes obvious.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
  • The decor with sheepskin rugs and arm lamps for reading lights is neither flashy nor overtly quirky, but simple and homey, as if it were designed by a tasteful Scandinavian grandmother who relocated to the wilds of Patagonia.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 May 2026
Adjective
  • In a region of rough roads, Chispa is among the roughest.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
  • That is often billed as a finishing school for footballing talent, but graduates inevitably remain rough around the edges.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Adjective
  • These armed hostilities have maimed, mutilated and killed millions of human beings — many of them innocent civilians.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026
  • Becerra may have been an innocent victim, but $120,000 a year is a lot of money to pay someone to babysit a largely unused stack of cash.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Artless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artless. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on artless

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster