as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
the guy's unworldly enough to think that any stranger who would approach him on a city street is simply trying to help him
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Recent Examples of unworldly
He is known for pioneering overuse of the Auto-Tune effect, giving his vocals an unworldly quality.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 June 2025
The movie then flashes back to reveal the unworldly events of the day before.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 19 Apr. 2025
While there are countless superhero stories flooding the TV landscape, Emma Moran's Extraordinary soars with its down-to-earth, Boys-esque twist, where being a hero isn't all it's cracked up to be and unworldly abilities aren't just devices for destruction.
—Alex Galbraith, EW.com, 24 Sep. 2024
Buruma, who excels at setting a rather unworldly man in the public life of his time, describes how, in 1672, a mob in The Hague lynched Johan and Cornelis de Witt, brothers who had led the Netherlands’ liberal regime during what is now remembered as the Dutch Golden Age.
—Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Lucky for them, Vegas is an unworldly place.
—Mark Gray, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2022
After leaving his rural village for Paris, Lucien befriends another writer, Etienne (Vincent Lacoste), who introduces his unworldly protege to an exciting cadre of liberal journalists — including a publisher played by Gérard Depardieu — who regularly attack the royalist government.
—Pat Padua, Washington Post, 28 June 2022
The Nets are putting their hopes in a player who has an unworldly skill set for someone his height and was challenging LeBron James for the title of the game's best player, and a coach who is creative, highly intelligent, team-driven and competitive as hell.
—Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2020
And there the journey entered an unworldly realm.
—F. Salazar, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Sep. 2020
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 June 2025
The movie then flashes back to reveal the unworldly events of the day before.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 19 Apr. 2025
While there are countless superhero stories flooding the TV landscape, Emma Moran's Extraordinary soars with its down-to-earth, Boys-esque twist, where being a hero isn't all it's cracked up to be and unworldly abilities aren't just devices for destruction.
—Alex Galbraith, EW.com, 24 Sep. 2024
Buruma, who excels at setting a rather unworldly man in the public life of his time, describes how, in 1672, a mob in The Hague lynched Johan and Cornelis de Witt, brothers who had led the Netherlands’ liberal regime during what is now remembered as the Dutch Golden Age.
—Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Lucky for them, Vegas is an unworldly place.
—Mark Gray, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2022
After leaving his rural village for Paris, Lucien befriends another writer, Etienne (Vincent Lacoste), who introduces his unworldly protege to an exciting cadre of liberal journalists — including a publisher played by Gérard Depardieu — who regularly attack the royalist government.
—Pat Padua, Washington Post, 28 June 2022
The Nets are putting their hopes in a player who has an unworldly skill set for someone his height and was challenging LeBron James for the title of the game's best player, and a coach who is creative, highly intelligent, team-driven and competitive as hell.
—Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2020
And there the journey entered an unworldly realm.
—F. Salazar, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unworldly
Adjective
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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
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How did an obscure, scientifically naive mining society discover the wheel, when highly advanced civilizations, such as the ancient Egyptians, did not?—
Kai James,
JSTOR Daily,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Additionally, wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian head scarf, at an event celebrating Arab Heritage Month was inflammatory of Johnson in the political environment following the massacre of innocent Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 July 2025
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Attorneys have also raised concerns about the increase in arrests of people with pending charges, who are presumed innocent, and disrupting their ability to mount a defense.—
Eva Wen,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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Looking for their environmental DNA in scales, slime or skin cells that living beings shed all the time is a simpler way, Workman said.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
-
The question is why England made such heavy weather of what should have been a relatively simple task.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
-
Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
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At the very worst, an immature 18-year-old makes a horrific decision on a whim to deface his or her torso with a tableau of repulsive images that could potentially cause medical complications later in life.—
Scott Liftman,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
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The researchers showed how the interplay between a baby's rising sleep pressure and immature circadian rhythms can create seemingly erratic nap behavior that, in reality, follows a mathematically predictable pattern.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unworldly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unworldly. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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