NAÏF Synonyms: 133 Similar and Opposite Words

naïf 1 of 2

adjective

variants or naif

Definition of naïf

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

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

But the only picture mode that comes close to being that bright also has a notably green bias and ramps up the fan noise to a level that almost anyone will consider intolerable.

— M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
The restaurant also makes its own salsas, including roja, verde and a spicier green variety.

— Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 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

Noun

If Putin rejects the framework — or, more likely, demands unreasonable changes — then the world will at least know who blocked the fledgling peace effort.

— David Ignatius, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
Director Robert Eggers delivers a taut, terrifying period piece with this tale of a 17th-century New England family expelled from their village and stalked by a witch — a movie that also put the then-fledgling studio A24 on the map.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 20 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

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Style

“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of naïf

adjective

noun

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