variants
or naif
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
the senator, newly elected and still naïf, will learn soon enough how Washington really works
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or naif
as in virgin
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of naïf
Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
Glusman is perfectly fine, but the writing leaves this figure too much of a naif to seem threatening or to be credible when Elliot somehow circumvents Sophie’s protective barriers.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 July 2025
Rogan, wearing his persona as a babe-in-the-woods naif, listened to this nonsense in slack-jawed stupefaction.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Most illustrators play up the coziness of the tale, what with children all snug in their beds dreaming of sugarplums and suchlike, but the friendly lines and marzipan colors of Ms. Beech’s naif illustrations take coziness to a new level.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
Noun
There is a risk of turning Artie into a naif, but in her careful, close observations, his depths become increasingly legible.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
Glusman is perfectly fine, but the writing leaves this figure too much of a naif to seem threatening or to be credible when Elliot somehow circumvents Sophie’s protective barriers.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 July 2025
Rogan, wearing his persona as a babe-in-the-woods naif, listened to this nonsense in slack-jawed stupefaction.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
-
Southgate’s confident assertion that the tide of history was turning against bigotry now looks utopian, or even naïve.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
-
Season 2 follows two couples on a path of mutual destruction, one older and jaded and one young and naive.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
But although swapping virgin inputs for recycled material is often framed as a silver bullet, such alternatives come with their own environmental and logistical trade-offs.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
-
The former football player explained that his religious upbringing and internal struggle with his sexuality both contributed to his decision to remain a virgin.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Does that mean his … poop is green?—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
Pool could remain green through September Hans Paerl, research professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told USA TODAY on June 15 that the color may remain there until the cooler autumn season.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Whatever conclusions investigators might reach, the loss of at least 50 souls, and the wounding of dozens more innocents, is an unbearable blow for any community.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
-
In his work, women were still ethereal innocents who had yet to become believable human beings.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
At $18 or even $15 per hour, many companies don’t see value in hiring inexperienced teens who require extensive training to interact with customers, let alone achieve some measure of productivity.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Lagway’s depature after 19 starts leaves the Gators to choose between two talented, yet inexperienced options with just one combined start — by Philo against Gardner-Webb in 2025.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Flecks of mica and pyrite and who knows what, but only fools and greenhorns mistake it for gold.—
John Archibald,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
-
Dawkins and right tackle Spencer Brown suffered injuries that sidelined them in Pittsburgh, forcing greenhorns Ryan Vandemark and Alec Anderson into service against T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With Sonja Tyspin’s cinematography imbuing an innocent, sensual curiosity, Kiyoko sweetly conveys the awkward thrill of fledgling emotions.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Creator economy holding company Reign Maker Group has acquired a majority stake in fledgling talent management company Hyphen HQ.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Our best ingenues would queue to star as Dora and Nora.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
At one point, the Phantom and Christine, the ingenue and the object of his obsession, glide toward you in a gondola, crossing an underground lake.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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