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as in stupid
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily don't be so quick to characterize people who have trouble with computers as simple

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective simple contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of simple are easy, effortless, facile, light, and smooth. While all these words mean "not demanding effort or involving difficulty," simple stresses ease in understanding or dealing with because complication is absent.

a simple problem in arithmetic

When could easy be used to replace simple?

The meanings of easy and simple largely overlap; however, easy is applicable either to persons or things imposing tasks or to activity required by such tasks.

an easy college course

In what contexts can effortless take the place of simple?

While the synonyms effortless and simple are close in meaning, effortless stresses the appearance of ease and usually implies the prior attainment of artistry or expertness.

moving with effortless grace

How are the words facile and easy related as synonyms of simple?

Facile often adds to easy the connotation of undue haste or shallowness.

facile answers to complex questions

When is light a more appropriate choice than simple?

Although the words light and simple have much in common, light stresses freedom from what is burdensome.

a light teaching load

When is it sensible to use smooth instead of simple?

The synonyms smooth and simple are sometimes interchangeable, but smooth stresses the absence or removal of all difficulties, hardships, or obstacles.

a smooth ride

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 simple The simple elastic cuff makes these mittens easy to pull on and off, while keeping cold air from sneaking inside. Lisa Jhung, Outside Online, 15 Nov. 2024 Building off this focus on technique, a good strength training program for youth should progress from simple movements to more complex movements and lighter weights to heavier weights, taking into consideration that not all youth will adapt at the same rate. Discover Magazine, 15 Nov. 2024 These developments signal how AI assistants like Gemini may evolve from simple chat interfaces to more comprehensive digital helpers. Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024 Drivers reportedly complained about touchscreen systems adding in at times annoying levels of friction to simple functions like climate control and music. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for simple 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simple
Adjective
  • That's a sandwich of plain white bread with beef sausage and ketchup.
    Claire Reilly, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Her costumes aren’t particularly notable, consisting mostly of plain suits and overcoats in a story where the flashy outfits go to characters like the Joker.
    Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • If the exemptions apply solely to income taxes, Social Security and Medicare would remain unaffected.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
  • Schneider Electric's products and services remain unaffected.
    Davey Winder, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • It has also been found that THCV in its purest form can calm the unreasonable urge to overeat while also reducing hunger cravings.
    Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
  • Mack doesn’t put on his helmet and pads, but that doesn’t mean the day is one of pure relaxation.
    Elliott Teaford, Orange County Register, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • But because pressured waterfowl aren’t easy to fool, hunters have been trying to perfect the art of decoy deception to swing the odds in their favor.
    Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
  • To make this easier, appointments are not required.
    Kff Health News, Orange County Register, 13 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Dimon went on to say that the United States needed to avoid being naive and allowing larger global events to play out without any intervention.
    Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
  • In a bloody good mix of horror comedy and murder mystery, Sam Richardson plays a naive but good-hearted forest ranger new to a small Vermont town out to catch a killer (who may or may not be a werewolf) among the various kooky residents. 55.
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Donald Trump, so ignorant of the past and so careless about the future, is a present-tense kind of candidate.
    Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Was an ancient reptile, for all intents and purposes a 15-million-year-old dinosaur, actually roaming this expanse of creosote scrub, subsisting on beavertail cactus flesh, going about her day ignorant of the weather alerts, the headlines, the untold human tragedies?
    Outside Online, Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Give yourself permission to go see a truly stupid movie.
    Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US, theweek, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Among the show’s many, many, many Twilight Zone spoofs, this one is the funniest and the best, with a conclusion that’s equal parts brilliant and stupid.
    Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The world is gambling that a country that’s shown a bare minimum of commitment to this entire process can keep us all on a path to staving off catastrophic warming.
    Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Despite a lack of funding for even basic educational necessities, and school district leaders who only care about the barest minimum standards, these educators are united by their drive to surpass expectations and encourage their students to do the same.
    Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near simple

Cite this Entry

“Simple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simple. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on simple

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