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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
  • To devein, or not to devein, isn't a plain yes or no answer.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2025
  • These frames slip right around standard switch plates, instantly turning them from plain plastic rectangles into polished, eye-catching features.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Thirty to 100 percent increases are being asked for apartments built since 1947 and therefore unaffected by rent-control laws.
    Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Some of the areas most closely watched for tariff impact nationwide were largely unaffected.
    David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Adeleye was outclassed from a pure boxing standpoint, but his heart was on display.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • The shot was clean with a bold recovery, just like a pure Mickelson moment.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • These were not easy years for anyone, and at my lowest moments I was buoyed by my Hermione Lee story and kept going.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Affording a home in Idaho may be easier compared to other states, the study found.
    Kate Linderman, Idaho Statesman, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • These findings show that that argument may have been naive.
    Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2025
  • But Trump's instincts, if naive, are not entirely wrong: a tighter economic vise could move Putin to concessions.
    John Davenport, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 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
  • 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Simple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simple. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

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