naive

/nɑˈiv/

/naɪˈiv/

Other forms: naivest; naiver

No one likes being called naive, since it means you lack sophistication or street smarts.

A person who is too trusting can be criticized for being overly naive: "You're so naive, you think that map you bought online will really lead you to buried treasure!" Naive shares the same root as native, and originally meant "natural" or "not artificial." It can still be used in a more positive meaning when describing a charming lack of artificiality, as in "the naive style of folk art made by an untrained painter."

Definitions of naive

1. adjective

   marked by or showing unaffected simplicity and lack of guile or worldly experience
   “a teenager's naive ignorance of life”

   “the naive assumption that things can only get better”

   “this naive simple creature with wide friendly eyes so eager to believe appearances”

   synonyms: naif

   credulous

   disposed to believe on little evidence

   uninformed

   not informed; lacking in knowledge or information

   childlike, dewy-eyed, round-eyed, simple, wide-eyed

   exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity

   credulous

   showing a lack of judgment or experience

   fleeceable, green, gullible

   naive and easily deceived or tricked

   ingenuous, innocent

   lacking in sophistication or worldliness

   simple-minded

   lacking subtlety and insight

   unsophisticated, unworldly

   not wise in the ways of the world

   unworldly

   not concerned with the temporal world or swayed by mundane considerations

   antonyms:

   sophisticated

   having or appealing to those having worldly knowledge and refinement and savoir-faire

   elegant

   refined and tasteful in appearance or behavior or style

   disenchanted

   disappointed or let down; freed from enchantment

   cosmopolitan, widely distributed

   growing or occurring in many parts of the world

   informed

   having much knowledge or education

   literate

   able to read and write

   blase, worldly

   very sophisticated especially because of surfeit; versed in the ways of the world

   intelligent, well-informed

   possessing sound knowledge

   polished, refined, svelte, urbane

   showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience

   worldly-wise

   experienced in and wise to the ways of the world

   secular, temporal, worldly

   characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world
2. adjective

   lacking information or instruction
   synonyms: unenlightened, uninstructed

   uninformed

   not informed; lacking in knowledge or information
3. adjective

   inexperienced
   synonyms:

   innate, unconditioned, unlearned

   not established by conditioning or learning
4. adjective

   not initiated; deficient in relevant experience
   “he took part in the experiment as a naive subject”

   synonyms: uninitiate, uninitiated

   inexperienced, inexperient

   lacking practical experience or training
5. adjective

   of or created by one without formal training; simple or naive in style
   synonyms: primitive

   untrained

   not disciplined or conditioned or made adept by training