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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of naïf
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
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
Obama is neither an out-of-his-depth naif nor a reactive realist.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2012
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Reasonable readers will arrive at varied opinions about the taste of all this—the facts are the facts, and the narrative pulses with empathy, but the tone at times resembles cosmic horror, as if Ehrenfest were a Lovecraftian naif driven mad after glimpsing an Elder God.
—Amy Brady, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023
Sonny, the political naif, suddenly has mastered the procedures of the Texas House and turns them to his advantage.
—Shawna Seed, Dallas News, 12 Sep. 2023
Who says Merrick Garland is a political naif?
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022
With long hair and stubble, Fletcher is grungy and sweet, a seemingly free-spirited naif who also is, when the movie requires it, a font of Lone Star wisdom.
—Jim Kiest, San Antonio Express-News, 8 July 2021
Fraser was everywhere in the 1990s and early 2000s: a sweetly handsome, blue-eyed lummox whose starring roles established him as a perpetual naif.
—Ty Burr, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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
Noun
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
Obama is neither an out-of-his-depth naif nor a reactive realist.
—Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2012
Angourie Rice plays our ostensible heroine Cady Heron as more of an earnest naif.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
Reasonable readers will arrive at varied opinions about the taste of all this—the facts are the facts, and the narrative pulses with empathy, but the tone at times resembles cosmic horror, as if Ehrenfest were a Lovecraftian naif driven mad after glimpsing an Elder God.
—Amy Brady, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023
Sonny, the political naif, suddenly has mastered the procedures of the Texas House and turns them to his advantage.
—Shawna Seed, Dallas News, 12 Sep. 2023
Who says Merrick Garland is a political naif?
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022
With long hair and stubble, Fletcher is grungy and sweet, a seemingly free-spirited naif who also is, when the movie requires it, a font of Lone Star wisdom.
—Jim Kiest, San Antonio Express-News, 8 July 2021
Fraser was everywhere in the 1990s and early 2000s: a sweetly handsome, blue-eyed lummox whose starring roles established him as a perpetual naif.
—Ty Burr, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naïf
Adjective
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But there is this naive expectation of the entertainment industry that Tom Hanks is going to invite you in, and that just doesn’t exist.Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024
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Through some naive sleuthing and meddling, the girls manage to bring a corporate retreat out to the ranch in a last-ditch effort to prove there’s still a demand for Natty’s ranch.Sara Belcher, People.com, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The thesis addressed how oral storytelling on La Llorona floated between depictions of her as either a virgin or a harlot and the impacts these characterizations in movies had on Latina identity.Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2024
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Gina Rodriguez stars as Jane Villanueva, a religious, 23-year-old virgin who somehow becomes pregnant.Jenna Ryu, SELF, 21 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Donning a shimmering pastel green fringe jacket, the K-pop superstar performed the new tune against a striking backdrop of a desert highway, with the stage adorned with street signs.Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2024
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Border Patrol wears green, and CBP officers wear blue.Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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East is her foil, a naive innocent raised within the strictures of Mormonism, which she's never stopped to question.Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 10 Sep. 2024
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By contrast, the Westerners who Russia freed were seen by the U.S. as innocents — journalists and peaceful opponents to the Putin regime.Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
Noun
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In a 2017 interview translated into English, Zhang seemed prescient about the risk of expanding his fledgling TikTok into a global tech brand.Samuel Burke, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
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The fledgling relationships are subsequently put to the test as the couples live together and fend for themselves with few resources.Max Goldbart, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The author came to Canada from England in 1923 as a 23-year-old greenhorn.Anton Money, Outdoor Life, 15 Aug. 2024
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Hence the herring, every greenhorn’s rite of passage on the Wizard.Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 11 June 2024
Noun
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This can be an issue for pet owners and farmers, since coyotes are known to go after pets and livestock including dogs, cats, chickens, goats, and sheep.Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
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Between the lines: Officials said the case was detected in an operation that has a mix of poultry, swine and other livestock, such as sheep and goats.Tina Reed, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The painstaking Pletcher was up to that task, putting the colt into a nearly 90-day layoff/back-to-school course of works, no racing, largely at Saratoga.Guy Martin, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
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The colt isn’t getting the respect the Santa Anita Derby winner normally gets and is listed at 20-1 on the morning line.John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near naïf
Cite this Entry
“Naïf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/na%C3%AFf. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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