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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of naïf
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 July 2025
David himself is a generic naif whose sole distinguishing trait is a passion for music, curiously sung in unsubtitled Hebrew while the spoken dialogue is in English.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
Rogan, wearing his persona as a babe-in-the-woods naif, listened to this nonsense in slack-jawed stupefaction.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Both stand in stark contrast to the naif played by Daniela Komędera, who enjoys any prompts for activities and appears glad to be relieved of any opportunity to have to think for herself.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
David himself is a generic naif whose sole distinguishing trait is a passion for music, curiously sung in unsubtitled Hebrew while the spoken dialogue is in English.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
Rogan, wearing his persona as a babe-in-the-woods naif, listened to this nonsense in slack-jawed stupefaction.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
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
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
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
Adjective
Glusman is perfectly fine, but the writing leaves this figure too much of a naif to seem threatening or to be credible when Elliot somehow circumvents Sophie’s protective barriers.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 July 2025
David himself is a generic naif whose sole distinguishing trait is a passion for music, curiously sung in unsubtitled Hebrew while the spoken dialogue is in English.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
Rogan, wearing his persona as a babe-in-the-woods naif, listened to this nonsense in slack-jawed stupefaction.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Both stand in stark contrast to the naif played by Daniela Komędera, who enjoys any prompts for activities and appears glad to be relieved of any opportunity to have to think for herself.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
David himself is a generic naif whose sole distinguishing trait is a passion for music, curiously sung in unsubtitled Hebrew while the spoken dialogue is in English.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2025
Rogan, wearing his persona as a babe-in-the-woods naif, listened to this nonsense in slack-jawed stupefaction.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
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
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Noun
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
-
Even Portugal, who have been naive defensively but have considerable pace in attack, could threaten in transition, and Italy will need to shore up that element of their game to avoid being caught out.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
-
So, the whole thing just seems naive from people who’ve been oppressed by this murderous regime for 46 years.—
Fiction Non Fiction
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
Alexander said the recycling industry wants to see a treaty outcome that helps to level the economic playing field between recycled plastics and new, or virgin, plastic materials.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
-
But one vivid, if unlikely, detail has endured: Her traveling companions were some 11,000 virgins.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Belichick made his way back into the green room and finished his popcorn.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
-
Nelly Korda of the United States embraces Lottie Woad of England on the 18th green following their round during the first round of the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open 2025 at Dundonald Links Golf Course on July 24, 2025 in Troon, Scotland.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
Advertisement Thus, Israeli extremists and radicalized Palestinians feed on each other, using each other to justify violence, killing innocents, vandalizing property, and risking a major conflagration in the process.—
Nimrod Novik,
Time,
23 July 2025
-
Because a lot of the political leaders in our state have received extra protection, but not the innocents out there.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
Illustration: Marcos Silva/Getty Images China, India, and Japan are not the only countries on the Asian continent looking to establish themselves in the fledgling space economy.—
Javier Carbajal,
Wired News,
23 July 2025
-
Then a famous childhood friend wore it on his new TV series and orders poured in to Curran’s fledgling clothing brand.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
18 July 2025
Noun
-
Flecks of mica and pyrite and who knows what, but only fools and greenhorns mistake it for gold.—
John Archibald,
Southern Living,
25 May 2025
-
The indestructible Gill, still strolling the fairways of the magazine, was more than welcoming to a greenhorn.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Noun
-
Regular sheep’s wool is insulating and warm, even when wet; however, it’s not designed for performance activities like hiking or running, and tends to be less soft and sometimes itchy.—
Lauren Breedlove,
Travel + Leisure,
24 July 2025
-
The meat appears regularly in accounts of massive cookouts in the 19th century, and smoked lamb or mutton was a favorite at Southern barbecue restaurants until just after World War II, when the consumption of sheep plummeted nationwide.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
But the odds on the 4-year-old son of City of Light shortened again Sunday morning when two of the colt’s closest rivals — former Eddie Read champion Gold Phoenix and Atitlan — were scratched from the 1 1/16-mile turf run for older horses.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 July 2025
-
While watching a nesting crane keeping a chick warm beneath its feathers, she was startled when a bright yellow gosling popped out instead of a crane colt.—
Anne Readel,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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