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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
-
This season, that naive system would’ve won $2,400.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
And that seems to be a quite naïve view.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Founded in Italy by Alfonso Gautieri, Rossella Castagna and Emilio Parisini, the system focuses on enzymatic depolymerisation as a pathway to recycle polyester into virgin-equivalent inputs.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
-
But fans of the myth of Erzsébet Báthory, who was accused circa the early 17th century of killing young virgins to bathe in their blood for her own beautification, might be let down by what’s ultimately a silly, madcap Vienna adventure.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Of those projects, eight were categorized as green baseload -- producing the minimum amount of energy required to meet a country's energy demand.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Lian Jianchang, chairman of Long Bamboo Technology Group, told Xinhua that the company would focus on the lightweight, green, and biodegradable characteristics of bamboo.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As a result, tennis balls were stuck on the ends of his horns to protect the innocent.—
Mark Price
January 29,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In a key scene, the innocents jump back and forth between dinner parties playing out at the same time despite taking place on successive nights.—
Manuel Mendoza,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Pidgeon came in with a brunette bob, which, given the length of her natural hair, could be detected if left to inexperienced stylists.—
Kirbie Johnson,
Allure,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The roster is young and inexperienced — Sands is the only returning starter from last season — and the Tommies dealt with the predictable growing pains.—
Dean Spiros,
Twin Cities,
5 Mar. 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
-
Having made a massive profit from Tender’s collapse through her fledgling fund’s short position, Harper isn’t just flying high — literally, on a private jet where she’s being interviewed by New Yorker journalist Patrick Radden Keefe, playing himself in a cameo.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2026
-
However, there was a time when the fledgling star quite literally filled his home with everything that caught his fancy.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
26 Feb. 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
-
Yet in her disaster, a new ingenue steps into the spotlight.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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