NAIVELY Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

naively

adverb

variants or naïvely

as in sincerely

without any attempt to impress by deception or exaggeration she naively admitted to the job interviewer that she actually had little work experience

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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 naively Besides, Carmella doesn’t even know about this, Shannon naively says, so no harm, no foul. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 A lot of us naively assumed that demand would keep growing forever. — Brandon Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026 Unfortunately, one extra week of rest is not sufficient to rectify this problem (even assuming — naively — that NYRA kicks the Belmont back a week to accommodate our shift). — Stephen J. K. Walters, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2026 Her parents naively thought these nuns would look after their kid for a couple of weeks. — Zachary Fletcher, USA Today, 7 July 2026 When the United States invaded the Philippines during the Spanish-American War, Twain naively imagined that the country would be liberated and turned into a republic. — Ron Chernow, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026 Schmidt is hardly alone in naively extrapolating this trend out and concluding that, in the limit, AI will inevitably consume all the energy in the world. — Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 22 June 2026 Readers might think that from the perspective of the dog my engagement with its gaze is naively anthropocentric. — Literary Hub, 10 June 2026 Educators are no longer naively wondering if students will use generative AI to do their homework for them. — Jocelyn Gecker, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for naively

Adverb

Perhaps the script is unduly tilted by Ramos’ drawling, sincerely beguiling delivery.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 24 Oct. 2026
And incumbents can sincerely believe important work remains unfinished.

— Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of sincerely

Adverb

These provisions keep employers and plan sponsors from openly discussing their contract terms, which Cuban said blocks them from comparing fees and negotiating better deals.

— Emma Witman, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Worse, while communist parties during the Cold War denied the crimes of the Soviet regime, some of today’s neo-Leninists openly defend them.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of openly

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naive

naively

naiveness

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“Naively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naively. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of naively

adverb

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