Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

Thesaurus

ignorant

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of ignorant

1 lacking in education or the knowledge gained from books
  • They were ignorant, but not stupid.
Synonyms of ignorant

benighted, dark, illiterate, rude, simple, uneducated, uninstructed, unlearned, unlettered, unread, unschooled, untaught, untutored
Words Related to ignorant

functionally illiterate, innumerate, semiliterate, unknowledgeable

artless, lowbrow, philistine, uncultivated, uncultured

callow, green, inexperienced, innocent, naive (or naïve)

unsophisticated

raw, unskilled, untrained

brainless, dumb, idiotic (also idiotical), imbecile (or imbecilic), moronic, stupid, witless

foolish, senseless, silly
Near Antonyms of ignorant

brilliant, intelligent, smart

experienced, expert, trained

erudite, learned, scholarly

cultivated, cultured, highbrow, intellectual

sophisticated

acquainted, aware, familiar
Antonyms of ignorant

educated, knowledgeable, lettered, literate, schooled, well-informed, well-read
2 not informed about or aware of something
  • He was ignorant of their wedding plans.
Synonyms of ignorant

clueless, incognizant, innocent, insensible, nescient, oblivious, unacquainted, unaware, unconscious, uninformed, unknowing, unmindful, unwitting
Words Related to ignorant

uneducated, unschooled, untaught

absent, absentminded, abstracted, heedless, inattentive, inconscient
Phrases Synonymous with ignorant

in the dark
Near Antonyms of ignorant

hip, up-to-date

educated, knowledgeable, schooled, taught

heedful, observant

sensitive, sentient
Antonyms of ignorant

acquainted, aware, cognizant, conscious, conversant, grounded, informed, knowing, mindful, witting

Synonym Discussion of ignorant

ignorant, illiterate, unlettered, untutored, unlearned mean not having knowledge. ignorant may imply a general condition or it may apply to lack of knowledge or awareness of a particular thing.
    • an ignorant fool
    • ignorant of nuclear physics
illiterate applies to either an absolute or a relative inability to read and write.
    • much of the population is still illiterate
unlettered implies ignorance of the knowledge gained by reading.
    • an allusion meaningless to the unlettered
untutored may imply lack of schooling in the arts and ways of civilization.
    • strange monuments built by an untutored people
unlearned suggests ignorance of advanced subjects.
    • poetry not for academics but for the unlearned masses

Learn More about ignorant

  1. Dictionary: Definition of ignorant Spanish Central: Translation of ignorant Nglish: Translation of ignorant for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ignorant for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up ignorant? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games