NAIVE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for NAIVE?

Need another word that means the same as “naive”? Find 24 synonyms and 30 related words for “naive” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Naive” are: naif, unenlightened, uninstructed, primitive, uninitiate, uninitiated, innocent, unsophisticated, artless, ingenuous, inexperienced, guileless, unworldly, childlike, trusting, trustful, dewy-eyed, starry-eyed, wide-eyed, fond, simple, natural, unaffected, unpretentious

Naive as an Adjective

Definitions of "Naive" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “naive” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Of or created by one without formal training; simple or naive in style.
• Of or denoting art produced in a style which deliberately rejects sophisticated artistic techniques and has a bold directness resembling a child's work, typically in bright colours with little or no perspective.
• Inexperienced.
• Not initiated; deficient in relevant experience.
• Marked by or showing unaffected simplicity and lack of guile or worldly experience.
• (of a person) natural and unaffected; innocent.
• Lacking information or instruction.
• (of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement.

Synonyms of "Naive" as an adjective (24 Words)

artless	Without guile or deception. Artless sincerity.
childlike	Exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity. Childlike trust.
dewy-eyed	Exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity.
fond	(of a hope or belief) foolishly optimistic; naive. Hopelessly spoiled by a fond mother.
guileless	Devoid of guile; innocent and without deception. His face once so open and guileless.
inexperienced	Having little knowledge or experience of a particular thing. He is still relatively young and inexperienced.
ingenuous	Lacking in sophistication or worldliness. His ingenuous explanation that he would not have burned the church if he had not thought the bishop was in it.
innocent	(used of things) lacking sense or awareness. Fine innocent weather.
naif	Marked by or showing unaffected simplicity and lack of guile or worldly experience.
natural	Relating to earthly human or physical nature as distinct from the spiritual or supernatural realm. B natural.
primitive	Used of preliterate or tribal or nonindustrial societies. Primitive societies.
simple	Easy and not involved or complicated. Simple mechanisms.
starry-eyed	Unrealistically or naively optimistic.
trustful	Inclined to believe or confide readily; full of trust. A trustful acceptance of authority.
trusting	Inclined to believe or confide readily; full of trust. It is foolish to be too trusting of other people.
unaffected	Emotionally unmoved. Fibers remained apparently unaffected by the treatment.
unenlightened	Not having or showing an enlightened outlook. Unenlightened thinking.
uninitiate	Not initiated; deficient in relevant experience. It seemed a bizarre ceremony to uninitiated western eyes.
uninitiated	Not initiated; deficient in relevant experience. The discussion wasn t easy to follow for the uninitiated.
uninstructed	(of behaviour) not acquired by teaching; natural or spontaneous. Students are uninstructed in the use of books.
unpretentious	Exhibiting restrained good taste. In spite of his fame he was thoroughly unpretentious.
unsophisticated	Lacking complexity. Either too unsophisticated or too honest to promise more than he could deliver.
unworldly	Not wise in the ways of the world. This helplessly unworldly woman.
wide-eyed	Fully open or extended.

Usage Examples of "Naive" as an adjective

• Andy had a sweet, naive look when he smiled.
• I was politically naive.
• This naive simple creature with wide friendly eyes so eager to believe appearances.
• A teenager's naive ignorance of life.
• He took part in the experiment as a naive subject.
• The naive assumption that things can only get better.
• The rather naive young man had been totally misled.

Associations of "Naive" (30 Words)

artless	Showing lack of art. An artless literary masterpiece.
bumpkin	An unsophisticated or socially awkward person from the countryside. She thought Tom a bit of a country bumpkin.
candid	Openly straightforward and direct without reserve or secretiveness. A candid interview.
childish	Of, like, or appropriate to a child. Childish tantrums.
childlike	Exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity. She speaks with a childlike directness.
clarity	The quality of clear water. The crystal clarity of water.
credulous	Having or showing too great a readiness to believe things. A ceremony staged for credulous tourists.
downright	Thoroughgoing. It s a downright disgrace.
frank	A smooth-textured sausage of minced beef or pork usually smoked; often served on a bread roll. Kate looked at Sam with frank admiration.
girl	A person s girlfriend. Mrs Smith was just one of the girls.
guileless	Free of deceit. His face once so open and guileless.
gullible	Easily tricked because of being too trusting. An attempt to persuade a gullible public to spend their money.
hoax	Subject to a playful hoax or joke. A hoax 999 call.
honest	Worthy of being depended on. An honest wage.
honesty	Referring to or using a way of charging for goods or services that relies on the customers to leave money in an unattended receptacle even though there is no one to collect their payments. There s a well stocked honesty bar which includes local wine.
immature	Not yet having developed feathers. Many of the fish caught are immature.
impressionable	Easily influenced. An impressionable age.
inexperienced	Lacking practical experience or training. An inexperienced driver.
infantile	Of or occurring among babies or very young children. Infantile behavior.
ingenue	An actress who specializes in playing the role of an artless innocent young girl.
ingenuous	(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting. She s staggeringly ingenuous or possibly very cunning indeed.
innocence	The state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong; lacking a knowledge of evil. The healthy bloom in her cheeks gave her an aura of innocence.
naivete	Innocence or unsophistication. His greatest fault was his political naïvet.
out-and-out	Being out or having grown cold.
simple	Of very low intelligence. A simple white blouse.
sincere	Free from pretence or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings. An entirely sincere and cruel tyrant.
suggestible	Susceptible or responsive to suggestion. A suggestible client would comply.
trusting	Showing or tending to have a belief in a person’s honesty or sincerity; not suspicious. A shy and trusting child.
unsophisticated	Not wise in the ways of the world. An unsophisticated machine.
yokel	An uneducated and unsophisticated person from the countryside.