variants
or naif
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
the senator, newly elected and still naïf, will learn soon enough how Washington really works
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or naif
as in virgin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of naïf
Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
Colorful naif pictures by Katie Hickey and text arranged in substantial chunks make this perfect for browsing by young readers with an interest in engineering or architecture.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
Obama is neither an out-of-his-depth naif nor a reactive realist.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2012
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Reasonable readers will arrive at varied opinions about the taste of all this—the facts are the facts, and the narrative pulses with empathy, but the tone at times resembles cosmic horror, as if Ehrenfest were a Lovecraftian naif driven mad after glimpsing an Elder God.
—Amy Brady, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023
Sonny, the political naif, suddenly has mastered the procedures of the Texas House and turns them to his advantage.
—Shawna Seed, Dallas News, 12 Sep. 2023
Who says Merrick Garland is a political naif?
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022
With long hair and stubble, Fletcher is grungy and sweet, a seemingly free-spirited naif who also is, when the movie requires it, a font of Lone Star wisdom.
—Jim Kiest, San Antonio Express-News, 8 July 2021
Fraser was everywhere in the 1990s and early 2000s: a sweetly handsome, blue-eyed lummox whose starring roles established him as a perpetual naif.
—Ty Burr, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2022
Adjective
Most illustrators play up the coziness of the tale, what with children all snug in their beds dreaming of sugarplums and suchlike, but the friendly lines and marzipan colors of Ms. Beech’s naif illustrations take coziness to a new level.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
Colorful naif pictures by Katie Hickey and text arranged in substantial chunks make this perfect for browsing by young readers with an interest in engineering or architecture.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022
Noun
Farrow, presenting in the early scenes as an utter naif, discovers the pleasures of running cons; LuPone, who shows up a hellion, develops a sensitivity and nurturing spirit to the lost soul who’s provided her character a home.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
Obama is neither an out-of-his-depth naif nor a reactive realist.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2012
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Reasonable readers will arrive at varied opinions about the taste of all this—the facts are the facts, and the narrative pulses with empathy, but the tone at times resembles cosmic horror, as if Ehrenfest were a Lovecraftian naif driven mad after glimpsing an Elder God.
—Amy Brady, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023
Sonny, the political naif, suddenly has mastered the procedures of the Texas House and turns them to his advantage.
—Shawna Seed, Dallas News, 12 Sep. 2023
Who says Merrick Garland is a political naif?
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022
With long hair and stubble, Fletcher is grungy and sweet, a seemingly free-spirited naif who also is, when the movie requires it, a font of Lone Star wisdom.
—Jim Kiest, San Antonio Express-News, 8 July 2021
Fraser was everywhere in the 1990s and early 2000s: a sweetly handsome, blue-eyed lummox whose starring roles established him as a perpetual naif.
—Ty Burr, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
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But Armstrong gets to play the savvier, less naive Fern as a bit more of a badass, though all four kids are in over their heads when the ship’s malfunctioning droid (Nick Frost) navigates them straight into a pirate den.Alison Herman, Variety, 3 Dec. 2024
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Photo: Getty Images Said outfit only deepened the world’s impression of Diana as naive and childlike.Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In the eye-opening tell-all, Presley wrote that Jackson was a virgin when the two first got romantically involved in 1994.Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
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On Michael Jackson Lisa Marie claims her ex-husband Michael Jackson was a virgin.Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Pizarro highlighted that if the U.S. exits global climate initiatives, companies like his must ensure their overseas suppliers that the American demand for green energy technologies and equipment is still strong.Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
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Typical products the company sells include tape, wrappers, boxes and stretch film, which has a greener alternative.Alex Garner, USA TODAY, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Palestinians, Ukrainians, and countless others suffer in places where death stalks innocents.Gwen Faulkenberry, arkansasonline.com, 28 Nov. 2024
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Just the lives of innocents and the future of media hanging in the balance, no biggie.Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Back when The County Buzz, a tax-exempt nonprofit, still had a functioning website in 2007, an IRS filing shows the fledgling organization that year raised only $122 – putting it $1,000 in the red.Chris Quintana, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
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In today’s noisy landscape, initial efforts to get a fledgling client noticed may fall short.Expert Panel®, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The author came to Canada from England in 1923 as a 23-year-old greenhorn.Anton Money, Outdoor Life, 15 Aug. 2024
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Hence the herring, every greenhorn’s rite of passage on the Wizard.Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 11 June 2024
Noun
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Lagoons that are home to rare flamingos; vegetation that feeds goats, sheep, and guanacos; and a way of life followed by Indigenous Atacameño communities for thousands of years may all be in danger.Vince Beiser, TIME, 29 Nov. 2024
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Baur estimates the organization has saved over 10,000 animals, including chickens, pigs, cows, sheep, goats and ducks.Maya Blackstone, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In other news: Horse racing: After a three-year suspension, Bob Baffert was victorious in his return to Churchill Downs on Wednesday with his colt, Barnes.Stephanie Stremplewski, The Courier-Journal, 1 Dec. 2024
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The beautiful horses are the main attraction at the Breeders’ Cup, from the Future Stars Friday as juveniles, to the fantastic fillies, magnificent mares and classic colts that produce a lifetime of enjoyment for their connections and fans.Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near naïf
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
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