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Synonym Chooser

How is the word artless different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of artless are ingenuous, naive, natural, and unsophisticated. While all these words mean "free from pretension or calculation," artless suggests a naturalness resulting from unawareness of the effect one is producing on others.

artless charm

When is it sensible to use ingenuous instead of artless?

While the synonyms ingenuous and artless are close in meaning, ingenuous implies inability to disguise or conceal one's feelings or intentions.

the ingenuous enthusiasm of children

When would naive be a good substitute for artless?

Although the words naive and artless have much in common, naive suggests lack of worldly wisdom often connoting credulousness and unchecked innocence.

politically naive

Where would natural be a reasonable alternative to artless?

While in some cases nearly identical to artless, natural implies lacking artificiality and self-consciousness and having a spontaneousness suggesting the natural rather than the man-made world.

her unaffected, natural manner

When might unsophisticated be a better fit than artless?

The synonyms unsophisticated and artless are sometimes interchangeable, but unsophisticated implies a lack of experience and training necessary for social ease and adroitness.

unsophisticated adolescents

Examples 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 artless His pictures look perfectly artless, the opposite of the decisive moment and the epitome of the snapshot aesthetic. Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 Cosentino has a rich, burly voice that’s unpretentious without feeling artless. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023 On some slow or rainy day, when the tennis at Wimbledon is banging and artless as a metronome or suspended by weather, do yourself a favor. Sally Jenkins, Anchorage Daily News, 3 July 2023 But where scenes set in the past take care to flesh out the characters beyond their present predicaments — with, for instance, frequent flashbacks to formative moments from Edwin and Clive’s childhood — the present-day sequences feel artless in their singlemindedness. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for artless 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artless
Adjective
  • While basketball free throws were unaffected, jeers worsened baseball pitching, and both cheers and jeers hindered golfers.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Crude markets have largely shrugged off a year of conflict in the Middle East, including Israel’s recent retaliatory strike against Iran, as traders grow increasingly confident that oil shipments from the region will remain unaffected.
    Grant Smith, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Where Huang’s wardrobe for Oz emphasizes his position as a clumsy social climber, aspiring to classic mafia masculinity but too crass to fit in with the old-money elite, Sofia represents a different kind of outsider.
    Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Jessica Carter Altman always thought of herself as clumsy.
    Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • To be clear, audiophiles will still prefer genuine stereo separation.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
  • Avoid Downtown, But Grab Some Grub at Wildflower The downtown area is a genuine tourist trap.
    Erin Strout, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Apparently, my daughter didn’t finish all of the food on her plate, and the mom felt that was incredibly rude and a sign of poor manners.
    Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Those who participated in the creative exercises felt more social closeness with their coworkers, and were less likely to engage in rude behavior.
    Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Both measures required a simple majority for passage.
    Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Clark kept her look simple with a black sweater and bomber jacket at the Hinkle Fieldhouse, where the Butler Bulldogs play.
    Natasha Dye, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The colors, font and typography were a crude approximation of the signs posted by the campaign advocating for the proposition’s passage.
    Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Married to Stanley, a man of carnal appetites and vulgar manners, Stella has embraced the crude pleasures of realism, while her freeloading sister still clings to tattered aristocratic illusions.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • This leads to an honest and bracing conversation about the nature of addiction.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Healthy relationships, open or closed, involve honest communication.
    Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • What Klay Thompson’s return to the Bay really meant to him, the Warriors Curry, on a rough shooting night, took a charge on Jake LaRavia and then swiped Jaylen Wells in the backcourt before hitting a 3.
    Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
  • Related Articles Clippers find something in reserve, rally past Spurs for 1st Intuit Dome win There are issues aplenty in Clippers’ rough six-game start Can James Harden carry these Clippers at 35?
    Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Artless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artless. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on artless

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