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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
-
Their attempts at political discourse often veered toward the group speaking in vague, naïve universalisms.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
4 Sep. 2025 -
At times on Saturday, Bremen were terribly naive, exhibiting all the fragility expected of a team built from inexperienced players.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Predictably, the hubbub surrounding the photo was eventually framed as a war between uptight virgins and godless heathens, with a quieter contingent astounded only by the fact that this kind of marketing could still be so effective.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Underwood, 33, was known for being a virgin during his time on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette, and his subsequent run as the season 23 Bachelor.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Beginning around the mid-19th century, middle-class Americans began to idealize the velvety green grass of European manor houses, according to the Smithsonian Institution.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Fruit Tropical and Asian fruits like durian, lychee, green mangoes and jackfruit can be found in Milwaukee's Burmese shops.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But when innocents get dragged into the mess Robbie has created, the task force becomes more important than any of its members appear ready to handle.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
-
After a new kind of dawn patrol to remove our tired but awake—and vocal—kids from the innocents in the campsites around us, my husband and I called uncle.—
Jenny Wiegand,
Outside,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Since the election, Reform has tried to refashion itself from a protest vote party to one that could govern – untried and inexperienced, but ready to step in if the Labour Party buckles under its own blunders, and the once-mighty Conservatives drift further into political irrelevance.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
-
His emergence has enabled a talented, inexperienced team find its early identity.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The fledgling Future Soldier prep course started during Joe Biden's presidency and has played a central role in reversing the recruiting slump.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The fledgling company’s early output demonstrates its range and festival appeal.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
6 Sep. 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
-
Paul Walter Hauser will voice a sheep character and Yvonne Orji a pigeon.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
-
In sheep given creatine, the fetus’ brain is more protected from oxygen deprivation.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share