1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
a wide-eyed and trusting child
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in susceptible
readily taken advantage of
the sort of phony UFO "artifacts" that wide-eyed tourists fall for
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wide-eyed
A couple of my anxious students turned to me wide-eyed.
—
Sally Ventura
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Jaws is my favorite film, encompassing my feelings as a young wide-eyed child seeing it for the first time at a drive-in (talk about larger than life, especially for a small kid) and then rewatching it endlessly on TV and VHS until the tapes wore out.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
If Miller’s wide-eyed turn leaves him more of a blank slate than necessary, that works well enough for a character who just might still have a shot at one day becoming a whole, functional person.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 June 2025
The Wailing feels almost clumsily human, a wide-eyed, panicking look at a world gone mad.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for wide-eyed
Sally Ventura
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Jaws is my favorite film, encompassing my feelings as a young wide-eyed child seeing it for the first time at a drive-in (talk about larger than life, especially for a small kid) and then rewatching it endlessly on TV and VHS until the tapes wore out.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
If Miller’s wide-eyed turn leaves him more of a blank slate than necessary, that works well enough for a character who just might still have a shot at one day becoming a whole, functional person.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 June 2025
The Wailing feels almost clumsily human, a wide-eyed, panicking look at a world gone mad.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for wide-eyed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wide-eyed
Adjective
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Modern takes on the tankini and boy short offer nostalgia without being too naive and are also seen from Candice Swaenpoel’s Topic of C line or Hunza G’s colorful styles.—
Emily Mercer,
Footwear News,
27 June 2025
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Yet such arguments are either geopolitically naive or disingenuous.—
Charles Kupchan,
Foreign Affairs,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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This results in long, deep wounds in the surrounding flesh that are also susceptible to secondary bacterial infections, causing severe pain, and potentially death if left untreated.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
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Being able to track this is super helpful because male cats are more susceptible to UTIs, which can be potentially life-threatening.—
Molly Higgins,
Wired News,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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So far, the city's liability insurance carriers have agreed to pay nearly $27 million to settle four civil rights lawsuits alleging detectives — including some identified by multiple former officers as Wolverines — framed innocent people.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
4 July 2025
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That includes sparklers, which may look more innocent but can get up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Its attached solar panel charges all day, then automatically lights up the glass tube after hours for easier nighttime reading of the gauge.—
Molly Blanco,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 July 2025
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This sweetener is easy to make with only sugar and water, but adding lemon peel to the mixture during cooking adds citrus flavor.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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The simplest ideas in mathematics can also be the most perplexing.—
Leila Sloman,
Wired News,
29 June 2025
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And given that toppers were developed specifically as a lighter, simpler alternative to full-bodied campers, designed to fit within limited midsize truck payloads, that extra beef is a definite problem for some shoppers.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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Like an ’80s televangelist, Lindell is a pro at exploiting religion to bilk the gullible.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
20 June 2025
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Being personally very gullible and constantly putting myself in the place of the audience was the key for me in directing this series.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wide-eyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wide-eyed. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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