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 All that’s there is an artless effort to provoke outrage — Tony Hinchcliffe with the world’s strongest Boston accent. Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024 The effort of analyzing this video, a piece of artless misinformation, was beneath Abu Hamdan, who has dedicated himself to unveiling the violence of the world through the medium of sound. Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024 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 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 See All Example Sentences for artless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artless
Adjective
  • Outside of health care and social assistance, a sector in which job growth seems to be unaffected by over-all trends, the downturn in hiring extended across large parts of the economy, with fewer than half of all private-sector industries adding jobs last month.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The 2026 visa cap has already been reached, meaning current sponsorships are unaffected.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Chris and Emilia’s conversation is suddenly interrupted by a premature explosion, which was caused by a clumsy member of a militia group called the Sons of Liberty.
    Scott Meslow, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Tiny, slow and clumsy — these hatchlings are an easy snack for predators.
    Diaa Hadid, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Algorithmic Literacy requires genuine technical comprehension of AI capabilities, constraints, and ethical implications.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • But despite a certain staginess, and a tendency for the plot to suddenly stop to make way for the acting, Hedda is actually a genuine attempt to mine something new from the old text, a compelling fusion of Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn and Stephen Fry’s Bright Young Things.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In interviews, Candy, who struggled with his weight for much of his life, had to deal with the press making rude comments about his size.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
  • This question becomes thornier once Dorotea visits Rocca in prison, finding her rude and abrasive though not irrational.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • With just a few chairs, a handful of tables and a simple tent, the setting was intimate but filled with love and intention.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • And one of these, for those of us accustomed to British conventions but who follow the game in continental Europe, is the simple passage of time.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump is mentioned again on Page 156 of the birthday book document in a photo and a handwritten caption with a crude joke allegedly penned by Joel Pashcow, who the Wall Street Journal reports is a long-time Mar-a-Lago member.
    Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The data also shows that the Reliance refinery gets nearly half its crude oil from Russia.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But all friends need to be honest with each other, to tell each other home truths when it’s needed, to confront those awkward moments without fear of the reaction.
    Steve Sedgwick, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
  • But when those larger firms start to adopt similar habits—open forums, early interventions, honest check-ins—things change fast.
    Stephan Lendi, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Homers reheat Royals’ cold offense The Royals’ offense has hit another rough patch.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Additionally, avoid using any pads or scrubbers with a rough surface that could damage the cabinet finish.
    Heather Bien, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Artless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artless. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on artless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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