as in benighted
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 unenlightened
Dirty work is often assumed to be unenlightened work, but wildland firefighters have a unique empirical understanding of natural forces.
—
M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
And the culprit doesn’t seem to be a small number of unenlightened appraisers.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 8 July 2024
Some are downright funky in their retro prejudices, others more quaintly unenlightened.
—Lauren Bravo, refinery29.com, 3 Jan. 2024
Most gratifying in Newnham’s investigation is how Hite reclaimed her own positive sense of self in exile through some key female friendships: a love goddess finding refuge with like-minded souls after a bruising battle with unenlightened, resentful mortals.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unenlightened
M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
And the culprit doesn’t seem to be a small number of unenlightened appraisers.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 8 July 2024
Some are downright funky in their retro prejudices, others more quaintly unenlightened.
—Lauren Bravo, refinery29.com, 3 Jan. 2024
Most gratifying in Newnham’s investigation is how Hite reclaimed her own positive sense of self in exile through some key female friendships: a love goddess finding refuge with like-minded souls after a bruising battle with unenlightened, resentful mortals.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unenlightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unenlightened
Adjective
-
With hundreds of years of patient work behind it, with some educational institutions willing to protect their scientists, and with researchers hard at work in less-benighted nations, the human desire to know and to understand will continue to produce results.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Like the original Outlander, Blood of My Blood is believably frank about the possibility of assault in the benighted past.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s just idiotic foreign policy.—
Jamie McIntyre,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The Chiefs open with the J’s Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is patently idiotic, but at least the loser can blame it on the bossa nova.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent.—
Daniel Burke,
NPR,
9 May 2025
-
The show and its participants were even parodied on Saturday Night Live in January, with comedian Ego Nwodim playing Amuli, and other cast members mocking people’s poor conversation skills and unintelligent dating decisions.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Even women of color with a college education have a higher chance of dying in childbirth than an uneducated white woman, and that is shocking.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
30 Aug. 2025
-
These consequences will not be limited to the poor, the uneducated or minority groups.—
Arthur L. Kellermann,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The league might be skeptical that the Clippers were merely ignorant of the Aspiration-Leonard relationship and question why the team didn’t undertake more diligence.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Conversations that would’ve otherwise been fun and intellectually stimulating will start to feel childish and ignorant.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Napier got a one-year honeymoon until a Week 1 loss at Utah in 2023, the year when the Gators committed a silly amount of dumb penalties (including the original instance of two guys wearing the same jersey).—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The reigning Super Bowl champs better hope that’s the dumbest thing that one of their players does this season.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unenlightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unenlightened. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share