as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
his persona may be that of an aw-shucks country singer, but offstage he is anything but
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 aw-shucks
The aw-shucks routine appeared carefully calibrated to reinforce his core message, framing Republicans as the reasonable stewards of government being thwarted by extremist Democrats.
—
Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 4 Oct. 2025
Played by the versatile Domhnall Gleeson, in a performance that couldn’t be more different from his memorably unnerving turns in The Patient and Black Mirror, incoming Truth-Teller editor-in-chief Ned Sampson has a sort of aw-shucks, pre-Ozark-Jason-Bateman vibe.
—Judy Berman, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Like Francona, Miley’s aw-shucks facade belies an understanding of the game that borders on genius.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Monologuing for an hour and a half is no walk in the park, but the genial A-lister tackles the task at hand with aw-shucks charisma and confidence.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Wilson puts most of his aw-shucks charm to the side to play this spacey wannabe, portraying Eli instead with a pitiable whine or some far-out detachment.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Almost immediately, Carrie made the character her own, bringing in a sort of aw-shucks Midwestern sweetness.
—Michelle King, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
The connections Plunkett draws between Frost’s lyric poems and their literary influences are valuable, particularly for anyone taken in by Frost’s aw-shucks persona.
—Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 4 Oct. 2025
Played by the versatile Domhnall Gleeson, in a performance that couldn’t be more different from his memorably unnerving turns in The Patient and Black Mirror, incoming Truth-Teller editor-in-chief Ned Sampson has a sort of aw-shucks, pre-Ozark-Jason-Bateman vibe.
—Judy Berman, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Like Francona, Miley’s aw-shucks facade belies an understanding of the game that borders on genius.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Monologuing for an hour and a half is no walk in the park, but the genial A-lister tackles the task at hand with aw-shucks charisma and confidence.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Wilson puts most of his aw-shucks charm to the side to play this spacey wannabe, portraying Eli instead with a pitiable whine or some far-out detachment.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Almost immediately, Carrie made the character her own, bringing in a sort of aw-shucks Midwestern sweetness.
—Michelle King, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
The connections Plunkett draws between Frost’s lyric poems and their literary influences are valuable, particularly for anyone taken in by Frost’s aw-shucks persona.
—Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aw-shucks
Adjective
-
But anyone imagining that this problem will be resolved by taking games beyond international borders is extremely naive.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
In contrast, the late-’90s and early-2000s pop culture era—glittery, naive, and commercially loud—feels like an antidote to endless doom-scrolling.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
De Silva, police noted, was an innocent bystander who was not involved in the quarrel and was not believed to have been the target.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
So that seemingly innocent Machu Picchu stamp—one of the most popular souvenir stamps around—could be viewed not as a harmless keepsake but as an unauthorized alteration that might jeopardize your ability to travel.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While House Republicans can pass legislation with a simple majority vote, Senate Republicans cannot advance most matters without meeting a 60-vote threshold.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
-
But in stoppage time, Miami was gifted a third goal when Jordi Alba crossed from the left and keeper Willis, colliding with defender Walker Zimmerman, spilled the ball right to Messi, who had the simplest of tap-ins.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The range of the monster drawings included primitive people, giant spiders, serpents, snails and fantastical fish.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Will there be future fairy tales about birds whose feathers glow in the dark nesting in the ruins of primitive power plants of past ages?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aw-shucks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aw-shucks. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share