ingenuous | ingenuousness

Exam frequency

GRE

high

Banks

high

Civil Services

high

Meaning(s)

naive and trusting

Check Icon How to Memorize

ingenuous - naive

Check Icon Analysis

If somebody is described as ‘ingenuous’, they are considered to be lacking in worldliness or sophistication. It is characterized by a kind of child-like innocence and openness which can be both charming and dangerously naive. Not to be confused with ‘ingenious', which means 'clever or skillful'.

ExamsSpokenOther
Synonyms artless,unsophisticated
Antonyms guileful,cunning,canny

Check Icon Example(s)

  1. Tom didn’t leave the business for a new challenge, he left for a bigger paycheck. It would be ingenuous to think otherwise.

  2. Claire has an ingenuous smile that is very disarming, but she is no push-over.

  3. The ingenuousness of asking a total stranger for a lift is incredible to me. Anna needs to be more careful.

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