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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of naïf
Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
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
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 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
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
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
-
What became their sound, more so than instrumentation, was this naive form of optimism.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Any certainty—my certainty—about most guys being good guys seems naive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At the time, her storyline included opening up to then-lead Farmer Chris about being a virgin.—
Sarah Hearon,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Additionally, Smart Linen is just 10 to 20 percent more expensive compared to virgin fibers when the price of virgin is at a low level.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Lawmakers, researchers, and green energy advocates met in Sacramento on Tuesday to prepare California's power grid for more demand without huge price spikes.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
AmEx cards now come in all sorts of colors, from green to Platinum to the prestigious black Centurion, connoting prestige and packed with perks.—
Nancy Cutler,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and much of the Iranian security hierarchy, would not survive the first day of bombing; neither would about a hundred and seventy-five innocents in the southern city of Minab, most of them children.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
-
As Archangel Michael, Devyn Wade is both boyishly sweet and terrified as a devil’s advocate, cautiously questioning God’s decisions and her history of killing the innocent.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Blackhawks understood that handing their defense to a group of young, inexperienced players would be a challenge after the trade deadline.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
As New York Magazine reported last month, shifts are also crushingly long, the vast majority of managers are young and inexperienced, and contracts often end abruptly without any prior warning.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Finally, and very importantly for the greenhorns among us: What’s your tip for getting rid of soreness after a ride?—
Samantha Dunn,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The video also advises residents not to approach or touch owl fledglings and to keep pets and children away to avoid stressing the bird.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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Edgerton also convinced the pair to rename their fledgling chain Insta-Burger King, reinforcing the feigned royalty with a pylon sign showing a smiling, crowned monarch seated on a giant hamburger bun, a huge fountain drink in hand.—
Steve Patterson,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Most of its 40-second runtime is taken up by Emma Corrin as the rebellious ingenue Elizabeth Bennet sitting on a rooftop in a sensible day dress, staring wistfully toward the horizon.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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