naive
adjective/naɪˈiːv/
/naɪˈiːv/
(also naïve)
- (disapproving) (of a person or action) not showing enough knowledge, good judgement or experience of life; too willing to believe that people always tell you the truth
- to be politically naive
- I can't believe you were so naive as to trust him!
- a naive question
- It would be naive to imagine there is no risk involved.
Extra ExamplesTopics Life stagesc1- He regarded the move as politically naive.
- He made some particularly naive remarks.
- It would be naive of us to think that football is only a game.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- appear
- be
- prove
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- call somebody naive
- (approving) (of people and their behaviour) innocent and simple synonym artless
- Their approach to life is refreshingly naive.
- (specialist) (of art) in a style which is deliberately very simple, often uses bright colours and is similar to that produced by a child
Word Originmid 17th cent.: from French naïve, feminine of naïf, from Latin nativus ‘native, natural’.
Check pronunciation:
naive