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Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of artless are ingenuous, naive, natural, and unsophisticated. While all these words mean "free from pretension or calculation," 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 artless?

While the synonyms ingenuous and artless are close in meaning, ingenuous implies inability to disguise or conceal one's feelings or intentions.

the ingenuous enthusiasm of children

When would naive be a good substitute for artless?

Although the words naive and artless have much in common, naive suggests lack of worldly wisdom often connoting credulousness and unchecked innocence.

politically naive

Where would natural be a reasonable alternative to artless?

While in some cases nearly identical to artless, natural implies lacking artificiality and self-consciousness and having a spontaneousness suggesting the natural rather than the man-made world.

her unaffected, natural manner

When might unsophisticated be a better fit than artless?

The synonyms unsophisticated and artless are sometimes interchangeable, but unsophisticated implies a lack of experience and training necessary for social ease and adroitness.

unsophisticated adolescents

Examples 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 artless Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo are Patricia and Michel, the gamine and the criminal, simultaneously artless and deliberate. Ew Staff, EW.com, 7 May 2024 His pictures look perfectly artless, the opposite of the decisive moment and the epitome of the snapshot aesthetic. Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 Cosentino has a rich, burly voice that’s unpretentious without feeling artless. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023 On some slow or rainy day, when the tennis at Wimbledon is banging and artless as a metronome or suspended by weather, do yourself a favor. Sally Jenkins, Anchorage Daily News, 3 July 2023 See all Example Sentences for artless 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artless
Adjective
  • Schneider Electric's products and services remain unaffected.
    Davey Winder, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
  • If the exemptions apply solely to income taxes, Social Security and Medicare would remain unaffected.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The comedian with a penchant for pratfalls also did a popular impression of a clumsy President Gerald Ford and played the Landshark.
    EW.com, EW.com, 5 Oct. 2024
  • What was trickiest to nail down was the thing that looks the clumsiest: the student film.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • It’s commonly assumed that DEI work is only designated for a specific position within leadership or HR, when in reality, genuine DEI is embedded throughout an organization and is beyond a stand-alone role, group or function.
    Carla Thompson Payton, Essence, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Notably, the brand did activations not just at the race track, but in the cities where shoppers who were unable to attend the race could purchase the collaboration — making a genuine connection with their customers.
    Kanika Talwar, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Was the waiter being rude or was the customer overreacting?
    Soo Kim, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Dropping in on someone with no warning is inconsiderate, bordering on rude.
    Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • If peace has always been but a simple voluntary choice, the price of human imperfection has been paid in the coin of perpetual war.
    Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
  • Or that a different definition will make a theory simpler.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Hydrogen sulfide is a byproduct of crude oil refining.
    Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
  • However, the crude tanker segment was less affected compared to other shipping sectors.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Stick to transparent, honest consent methods that respect users and ensure compliance.
    Ian Cohen, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Simard: Some of it is just combined with comedy in general, to be honest.
    Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Deer damage is more likely to occur on younger trees, which are easier to reach and haven’t developed a thick, rough, protective bark yet.
    Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2024
  • Schrader’s recent work—shot rapidly, on low budgets—displays rough textures that run through the performances, the editing, the dialogue, and the sense of form.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Artless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artless. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on artless

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