Ingenuous
adjective
Showing innocence or childlike honesty.
She gave him an ingenuous look, making him believe her story.
Often appears as...
- ingenuous smile
- quite ingenuous
adjective
Being open, sincere, and direct in communication.
Her ingenuous personality was a breath of fresh air amongst the deceptive, manipulative people he was used to dealing with.
Often appears as...
- ingenuous approach
- ingenuous attitude
adjective
Showing innocence or childlike honesty.
She gave him an ingenuous look, making him believe her story.
Often appears as...
- ingenuous smile
- quite ingenuous
adjective
Being open, sincere, and direct in communication.
Her ingenuous personality was a breath of fresh air amongst the deceptive, manipulative people he was used to dealing with.
Often appears as...
- ingenuous approach
- ingenuous attitude
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Childlike Simplicity
Use 'ingenuous' to describe someone's pure and simple way of thinking, like a child's.
His ingenuous question about where the sun goes at night made everyone smile.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Cynical
'Ingenuous' suggests a person is not sly or skeptical, often refreshing in complex situations.
Her ingenuous trust in people was rare in the cutthroat business world.
Pro Tip 3/3Unintentionally Honest
Sometimes 'ingenuous' means someone is honest without realizing the full context.
He gave an ingenuous opinion about the painting, not knowing it was by a famous artist.
Pro Tip 1/3Childlike Simplicity
Use 'ingenuous' to describe someone's pure and simple way of thinking, like a child's.
His ingenuous question about where the sun goes at night made everyone smile.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Cynical
'Ingenuous' suggests a person is not sly or skeptical, often refreshing in complex situations.
Her ingenuous trust in people was rare in the cutthroat business world.
Pro Tip 3/3Unintentionally Honest
Sometimes 'ingenuous' means someone is honest without realizing the full context.
He gave an ingenuous opinion about the painting, not knowing it was by a famous artist.
Pro Tip 1/3Childlike Simplicity
Use 'ingenuous' to describe someone's pure and simple way of thinking, like a child's.
His ingenuous question about where the sun goes at night made everyone smile.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Cynical
'Ingenuous' suggests a person is not sly or skeptical, often refreshing in complex situations.
Her ingenuous trust in people was rare in the cutthroat business world.
Pro Tip 3/3Unintentionally Honest
Sometimes 'ingenuous' means someone is honest without realizing the full context.
He gave an ingenuous opinion about the painting, not knowing it was by a famous artist.
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Video examples
Nicholas Negroponte: 5...
looking at this setup, and none of the children who were normally there, except for this one child, were there. He was, and he said, "Let me show you how this works," and they got an absolutely ingenuous, wonderful description of Logo.
Video examples
Why is cotton in...
Centuries ago, the Inca developed ingenuous suits of armor that could flex with the blows of sharp spears and maces, protecting warriors from even the fiercest physical attacks. These hardy structures were made not from iron or steel,
Video examples
Nicholas Negroponte: 5...
looking at this setup, and none of the children who were normally there, except for this one child, were there. He was, and he said, "Let me show you how this works," and they got an absolutely ingenuous, wonderful description of Logo.
Video examples
Why is cotton in...
Centuries ago, the Inca developed ingenuous suits of armor that could flex with the blows of sharp spears and maces, protecting warriors from even the fiercest physical attacks. These hardy structures were made not from iron or steel,
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
Mother Angelica
American Educator
The woman is a gentle, loving bond who encourages, consoles, builds, reconciles, and makes all things new and vibrant. The woman is strength in time of suffering, courageous in failure, intuitive in time of danger. A woman is ingenuous when all fails, resourceful in times of want, and a true helpmate for man.
Quote examples
Terry Pratchett
English Author
I regarded finding I had a form of Alzheimer's as an insult and decided to do my best to marshal any kind of forces I could against this wretched disease. I have posterior cortical atrophy or PCA. They say, rather ingenuously, that if you have Alzheimer's it's the best form of Alzheimer's to have.
Quote examples
Jean Rostand
French Scientist
I don't judge a regime by the damning criticism of the opposition, but by the ingenuous praise of the partisan.
Quote examples
Walter Savage Landor
English Poet
An ingenuous mind feels in unmerited praise the bitterest reproof.
Quote examples
Barbara Kingsolver
American Novelist
I'm not pretending to be ingenuous; I know what I'm doing.
Quote examples
Mother Angelica
American Educator
The woman is a gentle, loving bond who encourages, consoles, builds, reconciles, and makes all things new and vibrant. The woman is strength in time of suffering, courageous in failure, intuitive in time of danger. A woman is ingenuous when all fails, resourceful in times of want, and a true helpmate for man.
Quote examples
Terry Pratchett
English Author
I regarded finding I had a form of Alzheimer's as an insult and decided to do my best to marshal any kind of forces I could against this wretched disease. I have posterior cortical atrophy or PCA. They say, rather ingenuously, that if you have Alzheimer's it's the best form of Alzheimer's to have.
Quote examples
Jean Rostand
French Scientist
I don't judge a regime by the damning criticism of the opposition, but by the ingenuous praise of the partisan.
Quote examples
Walter Savage Landor
English Poet
An ingenuous mind feels in unmerited praise the bitterest reproof.
Quote examples
Barbara Kingsolver
American Novelist
I'm not pretending to be ingenuous; I know what I'm doing.
Example 1 of 5
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