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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or naif
as in virgin
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of naïf
Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
-
Erin Dubreuil leads the cast as Cady, credibly playing a naive teen, but with the vocal and dance chops of an experienced pro.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2026
-
Palace require depth, and loaning anyone who is considered to be able to play a part would be naive.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The mass executions of political prisoners in 1988 are well documented—including the fact that some young women among them were first raped by their guards, on the theologically dubious premise that virgins could not be executed.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
27 May 2026
-
How many spells were cast, how many virgins were sacrificed, how many first-borns were murdered so that this could happen?—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
CoCo Rum, the pool bar, is where most guests congregate, either on the XL green and teal striped daybeds or on one of the high-back armchairs that line the bar behind.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
That famous summer, at the fireworks in Versailles, every streaking green flame shook a sheet of light across the crowd sitting on blankets on the lawns.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
In his work, women were still ethereal innocents who had yet to become believable human beings.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
And quite frankly, that calculus essentially admits that innocents are going to be hurt, but that is a price to pay.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The team overachieved this season partly because Mazzulla turned an inexperienced supporting cast into a strength.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Short selling can be an intellectually demanding approach to the market, and many inexperienced traders fall into a trap, lured by overvaluation and hype.—
David Capablanca,
Forbes.com,
28 May 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
-
In 1976, Martin joined the fledgling Second City comedy troupe, and and then performed iconic sketch comedy roles on SCTV, which earned her two Emmy awards for writing.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
-
Smith then ran himself out while Foxcroft appeared headed to a century on debut against Ireland's fledgling attack — first-day, three-wicket star Adair didn't bowl on Thursday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 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
-
Seen on the likes of Pamela Anderson, Ariana Grande, and most recently, Vera Wang, the micro bang was first popularized in the 1950s by film ingenues like Audrey Hepburn.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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