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
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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
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 July 2025
David himself is a generic naif whose sole distinguishing trait is a passion for music, curiously sung in unsubtitled Hebrew while the spoken dialogue is in English.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 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
Both stand in stark contrast to the naif played by Daniela Komędera, who enjoys any prompts for activities and appears glad to be relieved of any opportunity to have to think for herself.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
David himself is a generic naif whose sole distinguishing trait is a passion for music, curiously sung in unsubtitled Hebrew while the spoken dialogue is in English.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 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
Farrow, presenting in the early scenes as an utter naif, discovers the pleasures of running cons; LuPone, who shows up a hellion, develops a sensitivity and nurturing spirit to the lost soul who’s provided her character a home.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
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
Adjective
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
David himself is a generic naif whose sole distinguishing trait is a passion for music, curiously sung in unsubtitled Hebrew while the spoken dialogue is in English.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 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
Both stand in stark contrast to the naif played by Daniela Komędera, who enjoys any prompts for activities and appears glad to be relieved of any opportunity to have to think for herself.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
David himself is a generic naif whose sole distinguishing trait is a passion for music, curiously sung in unsubtitled Hebrew while the spoken dialogue is in English.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 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
Farrow, presenting in the early scenes as an utter naif, discovers the pleasures of running cons; LuPone, who shows up a hellion, develops a sensitivity and nurturing spirit to the lost soul who’s provided her character a home.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Noun
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
-
But Trump's instincts, if naive, are not entirely wrong: a tighter economic vise could move Putin to concessions.—
John Davenport,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Aug. 2025
-
These findings show that that argument may have been naive.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The respective studies on cashmere, Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS) and polyester (recycled and virgin) should publish during 2025’s fourth quarter as well.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
15 Aug. 2025
-
That left veteran Matt Turner (51 caps) and a pair of international virgins in camp as the team prepares for the Concacaf Gold Cup - Matt Freese (New York City FC) and Chris Brady (Chicago).—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
The glowing phenomenon appears as rays, spirals and flickers that most commonly manifest in hues of red and green.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
19 Aug. 2025
-
The limited edition super-candle features green and earthy base notes of cedarwood and green pepper, middle notes of tomato and mandarin, and top notes of fresh basil, black currant and mint.—
Emma Sandler,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Human rights advocates, meanwhile, warn that the crime crackdown has resulted in tens of thousands of innocents being caught in a dragnet.—
Semafor Staff,
semafor.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
As the response from Israel made many ask about the equally horrific impact and death of innocents in Gaza, those debates and demonstrations heightened, particularly on college campuses globally.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
His honesty about all of it — with himself, his listeners and his guests — immediately brought people to the fledgling medium.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Launched in 2000, Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab in River North was the first expansion of the legendary Miami restaurant, and the first venture for the fledgling ICON, which was composed of Centioli, Melman and a third partner, Michael Fox.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Flecks of mica and pyrite and who knows what, but only fools and greenhorns mistake it for gold.—
John Archibald,
Southern Living,
25 May 2025
-
The indestructible Gill, still strolling the fairways of the magazine, was more than welcoming to a greenhorn.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, ancient castles rise from misty riverbanks—like Trim and Kilkenny—as woolly sheep graze across emerald pastures.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Should her daughter be a sheep or a goat, in a society that punished her mother’s defiance?—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The race has drawn 10 entries paced by Iron Man Cal, a Joyful Dreams colt that finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar last Nov. 1.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 July 2025
-
Full of confidence and eager to prove the worth of his colt, the veteran conditioner brilliantly prepared Forever Young for another run on American soil in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic.—
Danny Brewer,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.
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