1
as in genuine
free from any intent to deceive or impress others
photographs that capture the ingenuous smiles of young children at play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
the story of an ingenuous newcomer to the big city who outwits the slickers at their own game
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 ingenuous
The former spouses co-parent an ingenuous teen, Carmelo (Jalyn Hall).
—
Judy Berman, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Talk of a solution—of two states, of a confederation, of nearly any prospect for a secure and free mode of coexistence—has long been dismissed as either an ingenuous assertion of faith or a cynical pantomime, an empty gesture toward a future no one expects to see.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
By the water’s edge, her insecure 25-year-old son, Konstantin (Kodi Smit-McPhee), is mounting a post-apocalyptic play in which his enduring love, ingenuous country girl Nina (Emma Corrin), can act.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2025
There’s something soft about the play, a little ingenuous and underbrewed.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024
Heathcliff, of course, is the prime example, growing from an ingenuous child into a glowering adult who spins all the considerable evil ever done to him — much of it based on race and class — into justification for his long game of retribution.
—Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2022
His greatest hope for the future, Meghan is a high school senior at a horsy boarding school in the Washington area and possibly the most ingenuous girl since Alice in Wonderland.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2022
Judy Berman, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Talk of a solution—of two states, of a confederation, of nearly any prospect for a secure and free mode of coexistence—has long been dismissed as either an ingenuous assertion of faith or a cynical pantomime, an empty gesture toward a future no one expects to see.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
By the water’s edge, her insecure 25-year-old son, Konstantin (Kodi Smit-McPhee), is mounting a post-apocalyptic play in which his enduring love, ingenuous country girl Nina (Emma Corrin), can act.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2025
There’s something soft about the play, a little ingenuous and underbrewed.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024
Heathcliff, of course, is the prime example, growing from an ingenuous child into a glowering adult who spins all the considerable evil ever done to him — much of it based on race and class — into justification for his long game of retribution.
—Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2022
His greatest hope for the future, Meghan is a high school senior at a horsy boarding school in the Washington area and possibly the most ingenuous girl since Alice in Wonderland.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ingenuous
Adjective
-
Krejci’s expression as referee Tom Kirk brandished the red card looked like one of genuine bewilderment.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
There was genuine excitement among students and founders.—
The AI Insider,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Set a century before the events of Game of Thrones and 72 years after House of the Dragon, A Knight of Seven Kingdom follows two unlikely heroes wandering Westeros … a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), and his diminutive squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
-
That naïve version of myself has since retired.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The school was unaffected by the fire but placed on secure status as a precautionary measure during the emergency response, according to officials.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Security experts and locals state that tourist areas like Cancun, over 1,000 miles away, remain largely unaffected and calm.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Still, all these innocent inquiries have me even more on edge.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
26 Feb. 2026
-
But if some of the address was a game show, much of it was a bloody Grand Guignol theater of horror stories, almost all about immigrants preying on the helpless and the innocent.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
An honest basketball coach without a real playbook.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Clear, calm boundaries and honest talks can protect your peace while keeping family bonds strong.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Olive oil is also used to dress simple salads, roasted vegetables, and a host of other dishes.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Others have argued that the game represents a simple life that is becoming harder to obtain.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Easy but exciting paths that felt like true tree lines to them.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Summing up the whole picture is impossible, and attempting to do it requires treading carefully, so as to maintain important boundaries between what is definitely true and what seems likely or merely speculative.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The officer said the review was needed because an inexperienced employee handled James’ initial vetting.—
Gisela Salomon,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
-
In the book, Krakauer is critical of the guiding companies for leading inexperienced climbers up the mountain despite the extreme dangers.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ingenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingenuous. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
