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
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 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 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
  • Rebecca and Verity, which stars Johnson, are also about a new, naïve lover entering the home of a bad man with a wife hidden in his house of horrors.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Their 16-year-old had gone from being a naive gamer to converting to an extreme vision of Islam in a matter of months – and began judging the world through that dark prism.
    — Jeff Winter, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of naive
Noun
  • Bridget reads Lizzie the tale of Countess Elizabeth Báthory of Ecsed (also portrayed by Krieps), a 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman said to have bled beautiful virgins to bathe in their blood and preserve her beauty.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Next, take a lint-free cloth and rub a small amount of virgin, unrefined coconut oil into the wood in a swirling circular fashion.
    — Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of virgin
Adjective
  • Reinhart’s character, Olive Smith, is primarily seen wearing her lab coat, but outside of the laboratory, she is dressed in red, blue and green outfits.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • This Midtown East institution might as well have been the green room for Old New York.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of green
Noun
  • On that terrible day, millions of Americans witnessed airplanes flying into buildings, people jumping off skyscrapers, and the Twin Towers collapsing with thousands of innocents inside.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Night Court will not stand idly by while innocents are attacked.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of innocent
Adjective
  • Consulting has built a system that allows relatively inexperienced people to deliver the judgment clients are willing to pay for.
    — Albert Mikkelsen, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Seas will also begin to lower as the nor'easter pulls away, but inexperienced mariners and small vessels are encouraged to stay docked on Monday as rough seas and gusty winds are still likely.
    — Sarah Wroblewski, CBS News, 27 Sep. 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
  • As the nor’easter takes shape off the Mid-Atlantic coast on Wednesday or Thursday, air will be squeezed between the fledgling storm and that high pressure farther north, increasing wind speeds along the East Coast.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Prominent among the worry warts is King Charles III of the United Kingdom, who felt the issue was sufficiently urgent to summon senior leaders of the fledgling AI industry to a summit at a Scottish castle.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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