naive

adjective

nä-ˈēv How to pronounce naive (audio)
variants or naïve
Definition of naivenext
1
as in innocent
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment a first-time buyer who was so naive that he believed the salesman's spiel and paid good money for the rusty and broken-down car

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in genuine
free from any intent to deceive or impress others the young girl gave honest and naive answers to the social worker's probing questions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in easy
readily taken advantage of we get piles of junk mail because you are naive enough to keep entering these dumb contests

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word naive different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of naive are artless, ingenuous, natural, and unsophisticated. While all these words mean "free from pretension or calculation," naive suggests lack of worldly wisdom often connoting credulousness and unchecked innocence.

politically naive

When can artless be used instead of naive?

The meanings of artless and naive largely overlap; however, artless suggests a naturalness resulting from unawareness of the effect one is producing on others.

artless charm

When is it sensible to use ingenuous instead of naive?

Although the words ingenuous and naive have much in common, ingenuous implies inability to disguise or conceal one's feelings or intentions.

the ingenuous enthusiasm of children

When would natural be a good substitute for naive?

The synonyms natural and naive are sometimes interchangeable, but natural implies lacking artificiality and self-consciousness and having a spontaneousness suggesting the natural rather than the man-made world.

her unaffected, natural manner

In what contexts can unsophisticated take the place of naive?

While in some cases nearly identical to naive, unsophisticated implies a lack of experience and training necessary for social ease and adroitness.

unsophisticated adolescents

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 naive 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 Yet such arguments are either geopolitically naive or disingenuous. —Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2025 Expecting the owners of AI technologies to suddenly become benevolent distributors of wealth without structural incentives seems, at best, naive. —Gary Rivlin, Time, 4 June 2025 As our climate changes, however, complacent or naive assumptions about what regions are safe may be quite flawed. —Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for naive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naive
  1. innocent
  2. genuine
  3. easy
  4. honest
  5. simple
  6. true
  7. gullible
  8. unsophisticated
Adjective
  • Comprehensive cell phone analysis can be just as powerful in clearing innocent drivers by proving no user interaction occurred.
    — Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • But the alternative is much worse: a world where the loss of innocent life is treated as inescapable, where no calamity can be prevented or bad situation reformed.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 14 July 2025
Definition of innocent
Adjective
  • Plaintiff Phone Discovery: Critical Strategic Elements Successful phone discovery requires understanding several strategic elements that can significantly improve outcomes: The Education Component: Many resistance issues stem from genuine misunderstanding about what cell phone forensics involves.
    — Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Whether a genuine belief or a strategic alliance, Drake’s claim places him firmly in the heart of a cultural tug-of-war.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 14 July 2025
Definition of genuine
Adjective
  • However, some will still find this airport to be easier, given the unmatched flight availability to and from Cancún.
    — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2025
  • Intensive research is crucial to any move, and thanks to the Internet and social media, it’s never been easier.
    — William P. Barrett, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Definition of easy
Adjective
  • Be honest about systems that are no longer serving their purpose.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Renegade Paws Rescue's honest assessment of Igor's personality garnered the attention of thousands of animal lovers, who shared the post over 35,000 times.
    — Moná Thomas, People.com, 14 July 2025
Definition of honest
Adjective
  • Looking for their environmental DNA in scales, slime or skin cells that living beings shed all the time is a simpler way, Workman said.
    — Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • The question is why England made such heavy weather of what should have been a relatively simple task.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 23 July 2025
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • This rings especially true for me, a vegetarian for nearly two decades.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 26 July 2025
  • This was certainly true of the Mets last summer when Taylor played his way into the lineup more consistently than Harrison Bader.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 July 2025
Definition of true
Adjective
  • Clearly, these governors and the state legislators believe their constituents who voted them into office are so gullible that facts and truth are unnecessary.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
  • Those who get the fish placed on their backs are seen as gullible.
    — Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Definition of gullible
Adjective
  • Gale was deemed old-fashioned and her focus on small-town Midwestern life was thought to be unsophisticated.
    — Deborah Williams July 14, Literary Hub, 14 July 2025
  • But the grammar movies and television use to dramatize such crimes remains by and large unsophisticated.
    — Andy Crump, Time, 26 June 2025
Definition of unsophisticated

Browse Nearby Words

nails (down)
naive
naively
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Cite this Entry

“Naive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naive. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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