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
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
From the beginning, Monroe’s contemporaries understood her unworldly charm to be accidental, and tied to a supposed infantile nature.
—Sophie Lewis, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022
The look might be a tad chic and sophisticated for unworldly ditz Muriel, but the star looks so sensational, who’s quibbling?
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2022
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
From the beginning, Monroe’s contemporaries understood her unworldly charm to be accidental, and tied to a supposed infantile nature.
—Sophie Lewis, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022
The look might be a tad chic and sophisticated for unworldly ditz Muriel, but the star looks so sensational, who’s quibbling?
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unworldly
Adjective
-
Ravi asks, an astoundingly naive question for a show like 9-1-1.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
-
In the February 1984 issue: Latin America: A media stereotype Over time, Vargas Llosa realized that this kind of reflexive leftism was naive.—
Ilan Stavans,
The Atlantic,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Since 1973, at least 200 innocent people have been exonerated due to wrongful convictions.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
-
In a nearly 400-page petition to the California Court of Appeals, filed Friday night, the LA Innocence Project argued Scott Peterson is innocent and his conviction should be overturned.—
Santina Leuci,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Will people be more open and accept that a simple, inexpensive date isn’t the sign of low effort but rather a reflection of the economy none of us asked for?—
Myisha Battle,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
-
The simplest way, Studholme suggests, is to use one group of neutrals or a tone on tone graduation of the same color, such as Pigeon, Blue Gray, Muzzle and Cromarty from Farrow & Ball, for example.—
Ariel Okin,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 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
-
The treatment was derived from human embryonic stem cells, which researchers had coaxed into becoming immature brain cells called neuron progenitors.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Despite her experiences, Ellie is still emotionally immature, seeing independence as its own authority.—
Mary McNamara,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unworldly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unworldly. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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