Definition of simplenext
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as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily don't be so quick to characterize people who have trouble with computers as simple

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective simple contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of simple are easy, effortless, facile, light, and smooth. While all these words mean "not demanding effort or involving difficulty," simple stresses ease in understanding or dealing with because complication is absent.

a simple problem in arithmetic

When could easy be used to replace simple?

The meanings of easy and simple largely overlap; however, easy is applicable either to persons or things imposing tasks or to activity required by such tasks.

an easy college course

In what contexts can effortless take the place of simple?

While the synonyms effortless and simple are close in meaning, effortless stresses the appearance of ease and usually implies the prior attainment of artistry or expertness.

moving with effortless grace

How are the words facile and easy related as synonyms of simple?

Facile often adds to easy the connotation of undue haste or shallowness.

facile answers to complex questions

When is light a more appropriate choice than simple?

Although the words light and simple have much in common, light stresses freedom from what is burdensome.

a light teaching load

When is it sensible to use smooth instead of simple?

The synonyms smooth and simple are sometimes interchangeable, but smooth stresses the absence or removal of all difficulties, hardships, or obstacles.

a smooth ride

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 simple The short-sleeve top and coordinating pants are comfortable for travel but still look polished with simple sandals. Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026 The good news is that many of these risks are preventable with simple habits like cleaning, separating raw foods, cooking thoroughly, and chilling foods promptly. Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 24 June 2026 The president suggested eliminating the filibuster in order to pass it, which would lower the threshold for passage from 60 votes to a simple majority. Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 24 June 2026 The speaker's design is simple and elegant. Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for simple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simple
Adjective
  • As one of Quince’s best-sellers, this soft T-shirt is a luxe swap for a plain cotton tee.
    Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency develops and updates maps that determine who’s in a flood plain and must buy insurance, and to help communities plan.
    Tammy Webber, Fortune, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • Solar energy density in orbit can reach six times that on Earth’s surface, unaffected by night cycles, weather, or atmospheric interference.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026
  • Councilmember Kent Lee, who represents neighborhoods unaffected by the opportunity fund, suggested the city adjust the allocation formula to eliminate bank balances as a criterion.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2026
Adjective
  • Couples who stay close over the long haul rarely run on pure self-sacrifice.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
  • What ensued was 90 minutes of pure sound.
    David Close, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
Adjective
  • This morning favors gentle starts and better listening, while the afternoon asks us to slow replies, check assumptions, and make our tone easier to understand.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2026
  • If CosRx can convince people to willingly slather snail mucin on their faces, trusting the brand with hair care is a pretty easy next step.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • In her own naive way, Miss Manners notices that your concern about gift cards requires a remarkable number of dollar signs to express.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 June 2026
  • And radical hope — not naive optimism, but hope that lives in imagination.
    Ashoka, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • Their earliest performances could be fun and irreverent, too, but Boy George says they were also marred by ignorant, homophobic heckling.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026
  • And using both words does not reveal that a person is ignorant but rather cosmopolitan.
    Kirk Bowman, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
Adjective
  • And the script’s very cute but deeply dumb leading man, Alex (Nico Carney), climbs a flight of stairs toward his best friend’s bedroom door.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 June 2026
  • And there are no ego-destroying confrontations with people who know how to do things, who tell you that your idea is dumb.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
Adjective
  • Lipa chose a long, close-fitting silhouette with bare shoulders, a high jeweled neckline and a skirt cut narrowly through the hips before widening below the knee.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 20 June 2026
  • Oil stockpiles at the critical oil hub of Cushing, Oklahoma, have plunged to the bare minimum of what is needed to operate.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 19 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Simple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simple. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

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