1
as in genuine
free from any intent to deceive or impress others
photographs that capture the ingenuous smiles of young children at play
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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
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Recent Examples of ingenuous
Talk of a solution—of two states, of a confederation, of nearly any prospect for a secure and free mode of coexistence—has long been dismissed as either an ingenuous assertion of faith or a cynical pantomime, an empty gesture toward a future no one expects to see.
—
David Remnick, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
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
There’s something soft about the play, a little ingenuous and underbrewed.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024
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
His greatest hope for the future, Meghan is a high school senior at a horsy boarding school in the Washington area and possibly the most ingenuous girl since Alice in Wonderland.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ingenuous
Adjective
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Nothing wrong with a little fantasy, but this year’s astrology asks us to stop romanticizing potential and start paying attention to what feels genuine, reciprocal and enduring.—
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The tears in Yang’s eyes appeared genuine.—
Adjective
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Levine sounds almost naive about the depth of this love.—
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Why portray Dorothy as a doe-eyed ding-a-ling; as not just naive but dumb?—
Adjective
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That means that 96% of the property in the five boroughs — 96% of all potential housing stock — is completely unaffected by the regulatory restrictions associated with historic preservation.—
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The demolition plans were filed with the city the same day, but for unaffected parts of the complex, including a pool and a separate apartment building at Markham and Haynes streets.—
Adjective
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Earlier this year, two innocent people were stabbed to death on 16th Street in Denver by an individual who had previously been deemed incompetent and released — one tragic example highlighting gaps in the current system.—
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This can include firing at an oncoming vehicle or even a fleeing vehicle if there is a credible assessment that failure to do so will result in the imminent death of police personnel or innocent bystanders.—
Adjective
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Sharing the video felt like a way to acknowledge that reality in an honest way.—
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Most Americans are good, honest, hardworking Americans who want to make their country a better place.—
Adjective
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This simple design works well once the engine is already moving very fast.—
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Do this simple test to find out if your soil is ready.—
Adjective
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This is especially true for plants that are marginally hardy in your area, as well as common perennials like woodland phlox, lamb’s ear, and hardy geraniums.—
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Fellow true freshman Joshua Moore should be in line for a bigger role next season as well.—
Adjective
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Ten of the top 15 quarterbacks in the portal have already committed, and after that top tier, many of the remaining quarterbacks available are either young, inexperienced passers from Power 4 programs or starters from Group of 5 or FCS schools.—
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According to the University of Massachusetts Global, teacher turnover results in a large number of inexperienced teachers being placed in classrooms, meaning more money is put toward recruiting, hiring and training.—
Cite this Entry
“Ingenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingenuous. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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