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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or naif
as in virgin
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of naïf
Meghan Cox Gurdon,
WSJ,
21 Nov. 2023
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for naïf
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
In his directorial debut, Early, who also wrote the film, plays Maddie, a blonde naif who skyrockets to viral fame for recipes created in the test kitchen of GourMaybe, a fictional but winkingly all-too-familiar online content hub.
—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for naïf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
-
In her own naive way, Miss Manners notices that your concern about gift cards requires a remarkable number of dollar signs to express.
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And radical hope — not naive optimism, but hope that lives in imagination.
Noun
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Keep the punch virgin, or add a tablespoon of vodka, gin, or bourbon to each glass.
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But although swapping virgin inputs for recycled material is often framed as a silver bullet, such alternatives come with their own environmental and logistical trade-offs.
Adjective
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Every imaginable yellow, green and blue wig was on display among the sea of kilts outside Hard Rock Stadium (re-named Miami Stadium for the World Cup), faces were painted in all the team colors, and fans of both teams posed for photos together.
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Purchased in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, the traditional hat was decorated with a red and green beaded flower.
Noun
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Whatever conclusions investigators might reach, the loss of at least 50 souls, and the wounding of dozens more innocents, is an unbearable blow for any community.
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In his work, women were still ethereal innocents who had yet to become believable human beings.
Adjective
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At $18 or even $15 per hour, many companies don’t see value in hiring inexperienced teens who require extensive training to interact with customers, let alone achieve some measure of productivity.
-
Lagway’s depature after 19 starts leaves the Gators to choose between two talented, yet inexperienced options with just one combined start — by Philo against Gardner-Webb in 2025.
Noun
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Flecks of mica and pyrite and who knows what, but only fools and greenhorns mistake it for gold.
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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.
Noun
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With Sonja Tyspin’s cinematography imbuing an innocent, sensual curiosity, Kiyoko sweetly conveys the awkward thrill of fledgling emotions.
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Creator economy holding company Reign Maker Group has acquired a majority stake in fledgling talent management company Hyphen HQ.
Noun
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Our best ingenues would queue to star as Dora and Nora.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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