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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 But planning for the worst-case scenario, in the meantime, was far from simple. Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025 There were 366 cases of simple assault reported and 45 cases of intimidation reported. Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025 Transform public-internal data fusion into simple, actionable insights anyone can use. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025 The scalloped crochet trim and gold buttons add a sophisticated element to an otherwise simple tank, and the tighter weave won’t allow any undergarments to peek through. Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for simple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simple
Adjective
  • Between stress, shame, emotional disconnection, the current state of the world being challenging, and just plain exhaustion, desire can come and go.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Even the band’s look — blue denim, plain T-shirts, collegiate banners — was faded.
    Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Whether that direction is Mizrahi’s choice or Pascal’s own preference is hard to say, but the consistency—and the timing—suggests a deliberate effort to keep Pascal’s public image unaffected as award season approaches.
    Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
  • And even as major stock indexes continue to churn higher to near-records, analysts say the gains are increasingly driven by an ever-narrower band of companies, like tech firms, that are largely unaffected by the tariffs.
    Steve Kopack, NBC news, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • The shot was clean with a bold recovery, just like a pure Mickelson moment.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Adeleye was outclassed from a pure boxing standpoint, but his heart was on display.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Make the next step so obvious that taking action feels easier than thinking about it.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
  • None of Trump’s policies is making their lives, or the lives of ordinary Americans, any easier.
    Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The oldest boy of 11 children was determined to succeed, but not naive.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
  • As naive as that may sound in a world where so many self-evident rights and wrongs are being routinely, dishonestly evaluated and reevaluated, the series elevates simple truths in ways that are downright inspirational.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Joe is willfully ignorant—to national news and a lethal pandemic—but Aster didn’t write the character as a one-dimensional MAGA standee.
    Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
  • Yet Americans are surprisingly ignorant about our past.
    John C. Goodman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
    Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
  • Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
    Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017
Adjective
  • On the Eras Tour and throughout her career, Swift has covered up in semi-conservative dress like bodysuits and tights to cover bare areas.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Don’t sit your bare bottom on surfaces — use a towel or a piece of clothing as a buffer.
    Cordell Jones, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Simple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simple. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on simple

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