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
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
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 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
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
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
-
All the while, its apparent north star is the idea that its subjects are, first and foremost, children, a fact of which we’re reminded through their playful, often naïve interactions.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Sherman’s naïve insistence that the UN Charter, as a treaty obligation, supersedes anything the General Assembly or Security Council may do is a tragic joke.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Founded in Italy by Alfonso Gautieri, Rossella Castagna and Emilio Parisini, the system focuses on enzymatic depolymerisation as a pathway to recycle polyester into virgin-equivalent inputs.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
-
But fans of the myth of Erzsébet Báthory, who was accused circa the early 17th century of killing young virgins to bathe in their blood for her own beautification, might be let down by what’s ultimately a silly, madcap Vienna adventure.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Built around a compact semiconductor laser framework, the system integrates a multi-wavelength configuration operating across green, blue, and infrared laser bands.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The student council announced that everyone should wear green to school on what would have been his 16th birthday.—
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As a result, tennis balls were stuck on the ends of his horns to protect the innocent.—
Mark Price
January 29,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In a key scene, the innocents jump back and forth between dinner parties playing out at the same time despite taking place on successive nights.—
Manuel Mendoza,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But Miami is using an inexperienced quarterback, who had struggled on every level of the game with the exception of spot playing time the past two years, to do so?—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
-
One year ago, Georgetown was deemed too small and too inexperienced – yet the Royals developed a hard-nosed defensive identity that led to their first state championship in program history.—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 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
-
Other sports, including hockey, volleyball, baseball, and, yes, football, have one or multiple fledgling women’s leagues attempting to catch on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
-
People were encouraged to show up and demonstrate their support for a women’s expansion franchise under the auspices of the fledgling organizing group, For Denver FC.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
12 Mar. 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
-
Yet in her disaster, a new ingenue steps into the spotlight.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
