naïf 1 of 2

adjective

variants or naif
Definition of naïfnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

naïf

2 of 2

noun

variants or naif
as in virgin

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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 naïf
Adjective
Colorful naif pictures by Katie Hickey and text arranged in substantial chunks make this perfect for browsing by young readers with an interest in engineering or architecture. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022
Noun
That may earn her the admiration of her college comrades, but at home, she’s seen as an idealistic naif — mocked, in particular, by her older brother Milan (Miodrag Dragicevic), who is staunchly right-wing in his sympathies. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026 In his directorial debut, Early, who also wrote the film, plays Maddie, a blonde naif who skyrockets to viral fame for recipes created in the test kitchen of GourMaybe, a fictional but winkingly all-too-familiar online content hub. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for naïf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
  1. naive
  2. virgin
  3. green
  4. innocent
  5. inexperienced
  6. greenhorn
  7. fledgling
  8. ingenue
Adjective
  • Ann gets older, growing up to be played by Lucy Halliday, who exudes the same naïve energy in a more worldly body.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Mischa Glooshkoff, aka Michael Graves, has light brown curls, a wicked grin, and a wiry frame—perfect casting for the grand boulevardier who would lead my naïve young father astray.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of naive
Noun
  • Commitments to replace virgin down with recycled or animal-free alternatives accounted for 85 percent of the reduction commitments identified.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • His creator, an unnamed basket-weaver (Peter Dinklage), braided him as a mate for a lonely virgin, a fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who stomps around her rustic village smelling like sushi and tossing her head back in an Eliza Doolittle guffaw.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of virgin
Adjective
  • Joji Waites, director of flight safety, policy and regulation at the British Air Line Pilots Association, said airline assessors grade a threat as red, amber or green, but that an amber verdict would never be given if the plane is airborne.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Machine Gun Kelly, meanwhile, wore an emerald-green satin bomber jacket over a bright yellow hoodie, with loose gray sweatpants, a black beanie, and a red bandana pulled across his face.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of green
Noun
  • Chris regards his role in the deaths and disappearances of thousands of innocents with a weary shrug—and, on rare dark nights of the soul, a piddling note of regret.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The novel’s interest lies in the innocents on both sides of the divide, in the question of how to repair and understand one another.
    — Emma Alpern, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of innocent
Adjective
  • Anchored inexperienced defense that allowed 16 goals in 22 games.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Things won’t be at an elite level because this is still a young, inexperienced team.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
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
  • The indestructible Gill, still strolling the fairways of the magazine, was more than welcoming to a greenhorn.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Definition of greenhorn
Noun
  • Yet within just two weeks of departing, the fledglings had traveled an average of nearly 1,000 kilometers, or approximately 621 miles.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Going into the ceremony, fans were excited to see fledgling soap Beyond the Gates contending for its flowers.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of fledgling
Noun
  • Johnson, who a near decade ago was a bubbly ingenue on the brink of superstardom, has since developed a reputation for a certain cool-girl deadpan opacity, a kind of mischievous remove during press appearances.
    — Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026
  • McInerny saw a character who deviated from the usual ingenue.
    — Carole Horst, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of ingenue

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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