ingenue

noun

variants or ingénue
Definition of ingenuenext
as in angel
an innocent girl or young woman In her latest film she plays the part of an ingenue.

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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 ingenue Zendaya reinvented herself from Disney Channel ingenue into bona fide superstar with her two-time Emmy-winning performance as teen drug addict Rue in seasons 1 and 2. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026 Kerry Washington’s gold Oscar de la Renta halter neck dress called back to ’70s glam, while Chase Infiniti was every part the ingenue in a bubblegum Louis Vuitton gown—accessorized to boot with a tulle and organza stole. — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 2 June 2026 Seen on the likes of Pamela Anderson, Ariana Grande, and most recently, Vera Wang, the micro bang was first popularized in the 1950s by film ingenues like Audrey Hepburn. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025 The inarguable breakout star of the 2026 awards season was Chase Infiniti, whose starring role in One Battle After Another swiftly elevated her from Hollywood ingenue to budding A-lister. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 5 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ingenue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ingenue
  1. angel
  2. innocent
  3. virgin
  4. fledgling
  5. greenhorn
Noun
  • The first one features a six-foot tall bronze cast angel whose wings enfold around a granite bench; the sculpture was intended to offer the comfort of an angel’s embrace for visitors who take a seat there.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • The respected 13th-century Spanish rabbi Nachmanides (Ramban) chastises Lot for the atrocity of offering his daughters in place of the angels.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Definition of angel
Noun
  • Over 5,000 deaths, most of them for innocents not driving trucks, in 2023 alone.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Whatever conclusions investigators might reach, the loss of at least 50 souls, and the wounding of dozens more innocents, is an unbearable blow for any community.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Definition of innocent
Noun
  • In another, called Leucippe and Clitophon, Leucippe is saved from being sacrificed as a virgin by the timely appearance of an actor who uses theatre tricks used to perform deaths on stage to fake her death and spirit her away.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
  • Some recycled materials are on par, some are cheaper with virgin, others more expensive, and every single scenario is different.
    — James Morris, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of virgin
Noun
  • News comes in the wake of another milestone in the 31-year-old’s fledgling career when he was invited to join the 79th Cannes main competition jury last May.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 3 July 2026
  • Huang cofounded Nvidia in 1993 and has transformed it from a fledgling video game chipmaker to the engine behind the AI revolution.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 1 July 2026
Definition of fledgling
Noun
  • Flecks of mica and pyrite and who knows what, but only fools and greenhorns mistake it for gold.
    — John Archibald, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Definition of greenhorn

Browse Nearby Words

ingeniousness
ingenue
ingenues
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Cite this Entry

“Ingenue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ingenue. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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