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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
-
At a time of growing polarization, goodwill may seem outdated or naïve.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
The court’s abdication of its modern responsibility for supervising electoral democracy seems to rest on the naive belief that democracy will succeed in regulating itself.—
Noah Feldman,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The mass executions of political prisoners in 1988 are well documented—including the fact that some young women among them were first raped by their guards, on the theologically dubious premise that virgins could not be executed.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
27 May 2026
-
How many spells were cast, how many virgins were sacrificed, how many first-borns were murdered so that this could happen?—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Callahan is described as 6 feet tall, 170 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
Rectangular lamps were fixed at regular intervals between the pillars, and green metal railings lined the gaps to keep people from falling into the water.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
In his work, women were still ethereal innocents who had yet to become believable human beings.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
And quite frankly, that calculus essentially admits that innocents are going to be hurt, but that is a price to pay.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the end, an inexperienced minor – who has no idea who hired them – pulls the trigger.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Niemeyer found that random killing also creates chaos by replacing older coyotes that have learned the dangers of depredating livestock with younger, inexperienced coyotes that do depredate.—
Ted Williams,
Denver Post,
12 June 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
-
SpaceX, the once fledgling aerospace company that Elon Musk predicted had a slim chance of survival, reached new heights on Friday with a historic initial public offering.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
An offshoot of Eagle staple Schnitzel Garten, the fledgling lunch destination already has dropped some of its schnitzel sandwich prices a smidge, making all five options $16.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
11 June 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
-
Seen on the likes of Pamela Anderson, Ariana Grande, and most recently, Vera Wang, the micro bang was first popularized in the 1950s by film ingenues like Audrey Hepburn.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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