Ingenuous
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ɪnˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.əs/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Ingenuous is an adjective meaning Naive and trusting.
Meaning
Naive and trusting.
More Meanings
- Demonstrating childlike simplicity.
- Unsophisticated; clumsy or obvious.
- Unable to mask one's feelings.
- Straightforward, candid, open, frank.
Example Sentences
There was nothing more I dared say. My ingenuous attempts to lie my way out of trouble had only served to get me in deeper and deeper.
"Do you mean to say you didn't leave your wife for another woman?" "Of course not." "On your word of honour?" I don't know why I asked for that. It was very ingenuous of me.
[…] Semitic agitation by stating 'the truth' in terms of facts and figures, the practice of self-criticism represented a well-intended but ingenuous effort to defend Jewry against anti-Semitism.
[H]is Grace’s Man at his club, in company doubtless with other Men of equal social rank, talks over his master’s character and affairs with the ingenuous truthfulness which befits gentlemen who are met together in confidence.
Synonyms for ingenuous
Depending on context, synonyms include candid, naive, naif, open, artless, innocent.
Antonyms for ingenuous
Common opposites include disingenuous, artful.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include naif, naive, artless, innocent, undistorted, candid.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.