UNKNOWING Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

unknowing

adjective

ˌən-ˈnō-iŋ

Definition of unknowing

as in naive

lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment those unknowing people who think that the world is a kindly place are in for a rude awakening

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unaware

not informed about or aware of something the poor woman has been the unknowing target of some pretty vicious gossip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 unknowing From around January to June 2022, the couple tricked unknowing subordinates into adding fake vendors to the company's system, officials said. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026 The detective, once the exemplar of reason, drifts here into a fog of unknowing. — Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025 One of the strongest scenes in this episode is Maeve teaching the unknowing captive Sam how to swim. — Grace Byron, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025 As such, when Mia brings an innocent, unknowing stranger back to her apartment and begins to torture him, Dexter— witnessing the events unfold from across the street — calls authorities and Mia is arrested. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unknowing

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowing

Adjective

The rookies, of which the Dolphins drafted an NFL-high 13 players, could be considered a bit naive to the intricacies of an NFL season.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
By the early sixties, the romance of the untaught or naïve artist was really catching.

— Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of naive

Adjective

The point of the law, Brown said, is to give potentially unaware or financially vulnerable homeowners time to think, and perhaps time to consider other offers, or to investigate the true value of their homes.

— Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
When white people get beaten up or injured, as gravely as by torture or as dramatically as in a car chase, the police appear to be unaware or indifferent, as do Black and white townspeople alike.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of unaware

Adjective

When model Tricia Helfer came in for a touch-up before an introductory visit to her boyfriend’s parents, Johns toned down her bright blonde chunks to play up her naturally innocent looks.

— Vanessa Friedman, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
In a cruel coup de grace, Acosta reached into Shuler’s bag to steal an item while the innocent customer was still alive, prosecutors said.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of innocent

Adjective

London — Images of masked men riding along London's streets on mopeds or electric bikes and snatching phones straight out of the hand of unsuspecting tourists and locals have gone viral in recent years.

— Emmet Lyons, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Under Mitchell, Pecora showed, the nation’s largest bank had become an impeccably groomed racketeering enterprise, dressing up crooked enterprises as gilt-edged to sell their bonds and stocks to unsuspecting buyers.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of unsuspecting

Adjective

The platforms at the center of this problem aren’t oblivious to it.

— Nirav Tolia, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Related Stories An opening montage finds the historic metropolis full of people lost in their own individual worlds, digitally connected yet oblivious to the offscreen reality around them.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of oblivious

Adjective

Underpinning this assessment is the fact that disagreements between the two nations have gradually expanded beyond simple tariff disputes.

— , CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
In simple terms, cherry juice targets the muscle inflammation caused by exercise, known as oxidative stress.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of simple

Adjective

The Holbrook sisters are undersocialized and inexperienced with the world, and Herzog sees them as figures out of a fable, dreamers who talk incessantly about love and seem connected to the elemental and the ancient.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
When someone with 20 years of expertise is willing to look inexperienced for 20 minutes, everyone else gets permission to learn.

— Pankaj Prasoon, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of inexperienced

Browse Nearby Words

unknowable

unknowing

unknowingly

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Style

“Unknowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowing. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unknowing

adjective

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