Synonyms of ignorant

ignorant

adjective

ˈig-n(ə-)rənt 

1

as in uneducated

lacking in education or the knowledge gained from books

they may be poor, ignorant farmers, but they are not stupid

Synonyms & Similar Words

• uneducated
• dark
• inexperienced
• illiterate
• benighted
• untutored
• simple
• unschooled
• untaught
• unlearned
• unlettered
• rude
• uninstructed
• naive
• innocent
• nonliterate
• unread
• foolish
• stupid
• unknowledgeable
• naïve
• analphabetic
• uncultured
• idiotic
• dumb
• semiliterate
• unsophisticated
• artless
• functionally illiterate
• moronic
• uncultivated
• imbecile
• lowbrow
• unskilled
• innumerate
• imbecilic
• callow
• green
• untrained
• silly
• witless
• brainless
• philistine
• idiotical
• senseless
• raw

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• educated
• knowledgeable
• intelligent
• literate
• brilliant
• smart
• expert
• experienced
• well-informed
• lettered
• trained
• intellectual
• learned
• well-read
• schooled
• erudite
• scholarly
• aware
• cultured
• sophisticated
• familiar
• cultivated
• acquainted
• highbrow
• polymathic
• polymath
• polyhistoric

2

as in unaware

not informed about or aware of something

he was ignorant of their wedding plans

Synonyms & Similar Words

• unaware
• oblivious
• uninformed
• clueless
• unmindful
• unconscious
• unknowing
• in the dark
• unwitting
• uneducated
• nescient
• innocent
• unacquainted
• incognizant
• unschooled
• untaught
• insensible
• inattentive
• heedless
• absent
• absentminded
• abstracted
• inconscient

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• aware
• conscious
• informed
• acquainted
• knowing
• cognizant
• conversant
• mindful
• grounded
• taught
• educated
• knowledgeable
• hip
• up-to-date
• witting
• observant
• sensitive
• plugged-in
• schooled
• sentient
• au courant
• heedful

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ignorant distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of ignorant are illiterate, unlearned, unlettered, and untutored. While all these words mean "not having knowledge," ignorant may imply a general condition or it may apply to lack of knowledge or awareness of a particular thing.

an ignorant fool

ignorant of nuclear physics

When could illiterate be used to replace ignorant?

Although the words illiterate and ignorant have much in common, illiterate applies to either an absolute or a relative inability to read and write.

much of the population is still illiterate

When can unlearned be used instead of ignorant?

While the synonyms unlearned and ignorant are close in meaning, unlearned suggests ignorance of advanced subjects.

poetry not for academics but for the unlearned masses

In what contexts can unlettered take the place of ignorant?

The meanings of unlettered and ignorant largely overlap; however, unlettered implies ignorance of the knowledge gained by reading.

an allusion meaningless to the unlettered

Where would untutored be a reasonable alternative to ignorant?

The words untutored and ignorant can be used in similar contexts, but untutored may imply lack of schooling in the arts and ways of civilization.

strange monuments built by an untutored people

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ignorant

Everyone’s pride is intact, everyone feels good, no one has been called ignorant of modern practices, and Miss Manners cares not a whit that kindness and diplomacy have taken precedence over frank confrontation. —Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025

Finally, The Lost Symbol’s Ashley Zukerman plays Belle’s husband, a man who comes across as long-suffering, willfully ignorant, and, frankly, a total dope. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2025

Put simply, many Americans are woefully ignorant about the structure and features of their government. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025

There’s obviously ignorant, racist people in Vermont as well, but the vibe in general is way more progressive. —Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025