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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

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 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
  • Powell repeatedly has said the Fed is unaffected by political factors.
    Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Smaller cruise lines that regularly dock in Nice or anchor in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer including Sea Cloud Cruises, Windstar, and Atlas Ocean Voyages remain unaffected.
    Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Amazon’s best-selling soup bowls are made with triple-layered glass that even the clumsiest folks may find hard to break.
    Ashley Zlatopolsky, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2025
  • Okay too many clumsy Star Wars references there, but one thing the report also correctly notes is that this would be a rare development where Star Wars recruits a top A-list actor to star in a film.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Velcro dogs simply enjoy staying close, while dogs with separation anxiety experience genuine panic when left alone.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
  • The industry’s obsession with olfactory hierarchies of terpenes and flavors has supplanted genuine curiosity about the science of cannabis.
    Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • For some, Bishop Budde’s words might seem radical, rude, inappropriate or offensive.
    Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Regarding the banker who wished to use profane language, managers who are rude to direct reports are still falling out of favor.
    Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Organize your ideas with the timeless power of the triad—three points are simple, memorable, and impactful.
    Martin Gutmann, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Chloe Legault took to TikTok the moment her boyfriend Louis' mom, Isabelle, took a simple task and made it into a heartfelt moment.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The Unity is a crude oil tanker that is 245.07 meters (approximately 804 feet) long and 42 meters (approximately 137 feet) wide, according to MarineTraffic.com.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025
  • China’s crude oil imports fell nearly 2% in 2024, marking the first annual drop in two decades, except for during the Covid pandemic.
    Laura Paddison, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • This one’s all over the place tonally, on purpose: Ferrell wrestles a fake alligator over here, while over there, Witherspoon bravely engages with her siblings and their intimidating mother to hammer out an honest reconciliation after too long.
    Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025
  • The parallels here are unsubtle, but Falconer’s delicate and impressively assured direction smoothes them into something honest, so that even the moments that might seem obvious to us roil with self-revelation.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Reed, who was challenged by Hurley after his stretch of rough outings, ripped an offensive rebound from the arms of Butler’s Pierre Brooks five minutes in and finished a layup.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Piñeiro should have a decent market, despite having a rough second half of the season.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Artless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artless. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.

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