1
as in genuine
free from any intent to deceive or impress others
photographs that capture the ingenuous smiles of young children at play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
the story of an ingenuous newcomer to the big city who outwits the slickers at their own game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 ingenuous
By the water’s edge, her insecure 25-year-old son, Konstantin (Kodi Smit-McPhee), is mounting a post-apocalyptic play in which his enduring love, ingenuous country girl Nina (Emma Corrin), can act.
—
Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2025
The actors effortlessly entwine the droll and the ingenuous, but as Ulman juggles more characters and more plot angles than in her first movie, there isn’t necessarily more payoff.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
There’s something soft about the play, a little ingenuous and underbrewed.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024
And while some delusions of the self are less opportunistic and others feel more ingenuous, the tilt of reality to suit ourselves is nonetheless slippery.
—Megan O’Grady, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2020
All of this feels rather random, rather personal, rather ingenuous.
—New York Times, 5 Nov. 2021
Jennifer Johnson Cano’s mezzo-soprano was smoothly plangent as Emilia; the tenor Pene Pati was a sweetly ingenuous Cassio.
—New York Times, 22 May 2022
The underdog pick is Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), an ingenuous arriviste who, long-limbed and blunder-prone, provides much of the show’s comic relief.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021
Heathcliff, of course, is the prime example, growing from an ingenuous child into a glowering adult who spins all the considerable evil ever done to him — much of it based on race and class — into justification for his long game of retribution.
—Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2022
Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2025
The actors effortlessly entwine the droll and the ingenuous, but as Ulman juggles more characters and more plot angles than in her first movie, there isn’t necessarily more payoff.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
There’s something soft about the play, a little ingenuous and underbrewed.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024
And while some delusions of the self are less opportunistic and others feel more ingenuous, the tilt of reality to suit ourselves is nonetheless slippery.
—Megan O’Grady, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2020
All of this feels rather random, rather personal, rather ingenuous.
—New York Times, 5 Nov. 2021
Jennifer Johnson Cano’s mezzo-soprano was smoothly plangent as Emilia; the tenor Pene Pati was a sweetly ingenuous Cassio.
—New York Times, 22 May 2022
The underdog pick is Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), an ingenuous arriviste who, long-limbed and blunder-prone, provides much of the show’s comic relief.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021
Heathcliff, of course, is the prime example, growing from an ingenuous child into a glowering adult who spins all the considerable evil ever done to him — much of it based on race and class — into justification for his long game of retribution.
—Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ingenuous
Adjective
-
Without further context, the statement feels hollow — lacking both accountability and a genuine acknowledgment of the culture that made the boot iconic.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Is this the genuine cargo or some wiry wisp of a Ringo impersonator?—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The credulous faith that these superpowers will voluntarily settle for some form of peaceful coexistence, if only they are sufficiently propitiated with concessions, is naive and dangerous.—
Michael Miklaucic,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Similarly naive are Trump’s and Biden’s attempts to regulate access to AI information — such as China’s AI restrictions.—
Lutz Finger,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
There's also the chance that costs rise for items unaffected by tariffs.—
Emily Peck,
Axios,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Waiting and seeing Some businesses are still in wait-and-see mode, pushing ahead with hiring plans because many of their customers appear unaffected by the charges.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The show follows an innocent father (Worthington) serving life in prison for the murder of his own son.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2025
-
At first, his relationship with Claire seemed innocent enough.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The current lawsuits still need to play out in the courts, but the cases have brought attention to the need for TV brands to be honest about the capabilities of their QD TVs.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Viola Davis shared an honest admission about a past interaction with the late Chadwick Boseman.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
That simplicity feels so apt for this show, There's enough here: The production is simple and sweet, while Jonas and Warren exude a certain magnetism.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
But an attack can be much simpler — and can stop once a user has given away their credentials.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The same is true for picking up concertgoers after the show.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Arguing that the Smithsonian somehow misleads people, somehow is unpatriotic, somehow is saying things that are not true.—
Elizabeth Blair,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Mickey 17 is as guileless as Candide, while his successor is more aggressive and shifty-eyed.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
7 Mar. 2025
-
The older-younger generational divide emerges in an entirely different way in the latter episodes, with a growing riff between pragmatic (some would say selfish) Gen Xers and more idealistic and collectivist (some would say guileless) younger millennial and Gen Zers.—
James Hibberd,
The Hollywood Reporter,
4 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ingenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingenuous. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share