variants
or naïve
1
as in innocent
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
a first-time buyer who was so naive that he believed the salesman's spiel and paid good money for the rusty and broken-down car
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in genuine
free from any intent to deceive or impress others
the young girl gave honest and naive answers to the social worker's probing questions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in easy
readily taken advantage of
we get piles of junk mail because you are naive enough to keep entering these dumb contests
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of naive
Their shared belief in the importance of cinema breaks through the screen, contagiously inflicting those watching, striking a hopeful tone to cherish and admire that also prevents the film from appearing earnest and naive.
—
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Hoping to teach Arj a lesson about coming to terms with his own life, the well-meaning but naive Gabriel swaps Arj's life with that of Jeff's (Seth Rogen), a wealthy venture capitalist living large in a ritzy home high above the hills.
—Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for naive
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Hoping to teach Arj a lesson about coming to terms with his own life, the well-meaning but naive Gabriel swaps Arj's life with that of Jeff's (Seth Rogen), a wealthy venture capitalist living large in a ritzy home high above the hills.
—Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for naive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naive
Adjective
-
Someone's mispronunciation, for example, might have more do with innocent ignorance as opposed to a mistake worth correcting.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The new location will allow Wiggam Law to support clients outside of downtown Atlanta and directly in Gwinnett County, offering legal services including audit defense, tax litigation, penalty abatement, innocent spouse relief and IRS collections representation.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Algorithmic Literacy requires genuine technical comprehension of AI capabilities, constraints, and ethical implications.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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But despite a certain staginess, and a tendency for the plot to suddenly stop to make way for the acting, Hedda is actually a genuine attempt to mine something new from the old text, a compelling fusion of Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn and Stephen Fry’s Bright Young Things.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The bipartisan vote signals that the final passage will likely be easy to gain as the upper chamber looks to pass the defense bill this month.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps the easiest was an airplane flying overhead.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 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
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His emergence has enabled a talented, inexperienced team find its early identity.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But all friends need to be honest with each other, to tell each other home truths when it’s needed, to confront those awkward moments without fear of the reaction.—
Steve Sedgwick,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
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But when those larger firms start to adopt similar habits—open forums, early interventions, honest check-ins—things change fast.—
Stephan Lendi,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Police often become less trusting and more suspicious over time.—
Dave Winsborough,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Their simple plan goes awry when one of their relatives wants a posh Korean wedding banquet in the heartfelt romantic comedy.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The inspiration The Copleys wanted a low-water garden that would be simple to care for.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Early in the novel, Harold points out that authors are constantly looking for ways to bury their true beliefs in their text, rather than state them outright.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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Like many Stephen King stories, the truest horrors are the ones that exist in reality.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naive. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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