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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in naiveté
readiness to believe the claims of others without sufficient evidence
I can't believe the naiveness of people who don't realize there's always some catch to so-called free offers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naturalness
the quality or state of being simple and sincere
the innate naiveness of young children is one of their most endearing qualities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 naive
Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 18 Apr. 2025
Don’t be naive and offer $500 for a premium domain name.
—Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
But that naive, first-generation Polish-American girl soon became a force to be reckoned with.
—Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 11 May 2025
The lingering girl-group stereotype of Svengali producers controlling naive singers was not for them.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for naive
Adjective
The wily sneaker, all black with a design that resembles real-life Air Jordans, sees Ty as a mark and wants to steal the naive shoe’s bling — the diamonds and gold accents on his body.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 18 Apr. 2025
Don’t be naive and offer $500 for a premium domain name.
—Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
But that naive, first-generation Polish-American girl soon became a force to be reckoned with.
—Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 11 May 2025
The lingering girl-group stereotype of Svengali producers controlling naive singers was not for them.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for naive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naive
Adjective
-
To insinuate yourself into someone’s life, the biggest manipulators act like the most innocent victims.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
-
Loew was made the mark in a kind of confidence game, Schulberg recalls, with Thalberg and Mayer putting on a show of activity at the failing Louis B. Mayer Productions that nonetheless impressed the Hollywood innocent.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Learning to be resilient from the inside out is essential for developing genuine capacity and successfully navigating challenging times.—
Melissa Cidado,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Being transparent in this way helps build trust and demonstrates a genuine dedication to improvement.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
In South Florida, the one-day event will run from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Snapper Creek USPS post office, 11000 SW 104th St. The event is designed to make the process easier for both adults and minors applying for a U.S. passport for the first time, using Form DS-11.—
Maykel Gonzalez,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
-
From start to finish, the film offers no easy answers about what constitutes a breaking point for a parent caring for their child.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
How can leaders conduct honest conversations without inspiring defensiveness, denial, or backlash?—
Lauren Howe,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
One of those fans, apparently, is singer Ciara, who recently urged the Harlem artist to make Lampkin an honest women after running into the rapper in the BET Awards press room this weekend.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
Blending animation with documentary-style narration, Najjar crafts a visually arresting and emotionally resonant exploration of violence, survival and lost innocence.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
9 June 2025
-
Watkins’ conviction was overturned in 2023, affirming his innocence after years of efforts by his family and the Georgia Innocence Project, according to the lawsuit.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Better yet, this was all relatively simple to accomplish and extremely user intuitive.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
-
Track what brings business Your process on LinkedIn is simple.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Gödel showed that any system of axioms in mathematics permits the formulation of statements that can’t be shown to be true or false.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
-
Born in Seattle, Schmetzer was a true two-way midfielder as a player with defensive steel and an eye for creating chances.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
The results were hilarious, but Gould also won hearts as the affable (if a bit gullible) victim of the ruse.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Chamberlain was gullible and naïve, and Chamberlain’s appeasement to Hitler is considered one of the biggest betrayals in modern history.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naive. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share