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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or naif
as in virgin
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Meghan Cox Gurdon,
WSJ,
21 Nov. 2023
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
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
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
Adjective
-
In her own naive way, Miss Manners notices that your concern about gift cards requires a remarkable number of dollar signs to express.
-
And radical hope — not naive optimism, but hope that lives in imagination.
Noun
-
Keep the punch virgin, or add a tablespoon of vodka, gin, or bourbon to each glass.
-
But although swapping virgin inputs for recycled material is often framed as a silver bullet, such alternatives come with their own environmental and logistical trade-offs.
Adjective
-
Every imaginable yellow, green and blue wig was on display among the sea of kilts outside Hard Rock Stadium (re-named Miami Stadium for the World Cup), faces were painted in all the team colors, and fans of both teams posed for photos together.
-
Purchased in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, the traditional hat was decorated with a red and green beaded flower.
Noun
-
Whatever conclusions investigators might reach, the loss of at least 50 souls, and the wounding of dozens more innocents, is an unbearable blow for any community.
-
In his work, women were still ethereal innocents who had yet to become believable human beings.
Adjective
-
The subtext beneath that statement is that Syd recognizes why Tina might be loath to take orders from a boss who is younger and, relative to Carmy, inexperienced in the business.
-
Army investigations have repeatedly pointed to the same factors contributing to fatal training incidents including sleep deprivation, inadequate training and inexperienced leaders supervising high-risk exercises.
Noun
-
Flecks of mica and pyrite and who knows what, but only fools and greenhorns mistake it for gold.
-
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.
Noun
-
Fears over fledgling eaglets While the annual fireworks display and its impact on local wildlife have garnered controversy in the past, this year, advocates are particularly concerned about Jackie and Shadow’s two eaglets, Sandy and Luna, who were born in early April.
-
Scotland really needs an Iraq win or a tie here to help its fledgling chances.
Noun
-
Our best ingenues would queue to star as Dora and Nora.
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
