as in benighted
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 unenlightened
Instead of transitioning these communities into new industries or providing them with the tools to adapt, our legislators have chosen to obscure coal and its workers, treating them as relics of a bygone, unenlightened and even primitive era.
—
Daniel A.c. McBride, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2025
Dirty work is often assumed to be unenlightened work, but wildland firefighters have a unique empirical understanding of natural forces.
—M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Some are downright funky in their retro prejudices, others more quaintly unenlightened.
—Lauren Bravo, refinery29.com, 3 Jan. 2024
Wilson, therefore, was not introducing the ideas of world order and human rights to a collection of previously anarchic states and unenlightened polities.
—Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020
See All Example Sentences for unenlightened
Daniel A.c. McBride, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2025
Dirty work is often assumed to be unenlightened work, but wildland firefighters have a unique empirical understanding of natural forces.
—M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Some are downright funky in their retro prejudices, others more quaintly unenlightened.
—Lauren Bravo, refinery29.com, 3 Jan. 2024
Wilson, therefore, was not introducing the ideas of world order and human rights to a collection of previously anarchic states and unenlightened polities.
—Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020
See All Example Sentences for unenlightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unenlightened
Adjective
-
If or when the elephants die, our own benighted species will surely not be far behind.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Even with Dibble effortlessly laying waste to every point and argument made by his benighted co-guest, Joe Rogan remained unconvinced.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
1 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
This genre parody of Steven Segal action films and post-9/11 media like 24 is a show-within-a-show spun off Adult Swim web series On Cinema at the Cinema, wherein Tim Heidecker plays an evil, buffoonish, idiotic, shallow, narcissistic, Trumpian version of himself.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
-
We were just stunned by my idiotic behavior, but that idea that of the constancy was suddenly were wiped.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
More and more people are avoiding dating or befriending those with opposing political views, and growing numbers describe those on the other side as closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent.—
Justin Callais,
Twin Cities,
5 Mar. 2026
-
More and more people are avoiding dating or befriending those with opposing political views, and growing numbers describe those on the other side as closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent.—
Justin Callais,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Obama just went about his job and didn’t send untrained, uneducated wannabe stormtroopers into cities to intimidate people with tremendous shows of force.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Additionally, data released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics in September revealed that nearly half of the country’s youth population, aged 18 to 30, is unemployed, uneducated, or lacking training.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Having access to knowledge and being able to collectively reflect are rights too precious to surrender to those who prefer us ignorant.—
Megan Thiele Strong,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
What’s going on is that the bank and its customer service reps are ignorant of the law.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His moronic tariffs continue to blow up in his face, spiking inflation and getting zero concessions from China.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
In the annals of moronic behavior, driving forty minutes out of your way in the middle of the night in order to secretly and skillfully cut down everybody’s favorite tree does not come up.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Paige is little more than a dumb blonde stereotype, another underwritten female character in Sheridan’s growing oeuvre, but Chapman laces her babyish whining with surprising bite, while showing a knack for physical comedy.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Mar. 2026
-
How did an Ivy League grad from Penn get so dumb?—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unenlightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unenlightened. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
