ingenuous
gb/ɪnd͡ʒˈɛnjuəs/ us/ɪnd͡ʒˈɛnjuəs/
C1
English
naiv, hiszékeny, őszinte
C1
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is ingenuous (about [something])
He was ingenuous enough to believe the offer was genuine.
Annyira naiv volt, hogy elhitte, az ajánlat valódi.
Her ingenuous excitement made the bad news harder to tell.
Ártatlan lelkesedése miatt még nehezebb volt elmondani neki a rossz hírt.
They took advantage of his ingenuous trust in strangers.
Learner examples
She is ingenuous and believes everyone.
Naiv, és mindenkinek hisz.
I was ingenuous and paid before checking the details.
Naiv voltam, és még azelőtt fizettem, hogy ellenőriztem volna a részleteket.
Common mistake:
Often confused with ingenious (= very clever or inventive).
Meaning
innocent and trusting; naive
Collocations
an ingenuous child
|an ingenuous young man/woman
|an ingenuous smile
|an ingenuous face
|an ingenuous manner
|an ingenuous belief
|an ingenuous optimism
|an ingenuous view of the world
|almost ingenuous
|rather ingenuous
Synonyms
naive (More common and direct; can sound more negative.)
|
innocent (Emphasizes lack of guilt or knowledge of wrongdoing.)
|
guileless (Stresses absence of deceit or cunning.)
|
trusting (Focuses on willingness to believe others.)
Antonyms
cynical (Expecting others to be selfish or dishonest.)
|
worldly (Experienced and not easily fooled.)
|
wary (Cautious and suspicious of risk or deception.)
|
sophisticated (Socially experienced; not simple-minded.)
Themes
emotions
|personality
|social_life
Definition
too trusting and not aware of tricks or bad intentions
Showing innocent, trusting simplicity, often because of lack of experience or awareness of how people may deceive or take advantage of others.
C1
FORMAL
2
őszinte
A2
Usage pattern:
an ingenuous [remark/confession/apology]
He gave an ingenuous apology and admitted he’d been wrong.
Őszintén bocsánatot kért, és elismerte, hogy tévedett.
Her ingenuous questions showed she wasn’t trying to trap anyone.
Őszinte kérdéseiből látszott, hogy nem akar senkit tőrbe csalni.
The interview felt unusually ingenuous for a politician.
Learner examples
He was ingenuous and told the truth.
Őszinte volt, és elmondta az igazat.
Her answer was simple and ingenuous.
A válasza egyszerű és őszinte volt.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse with disingenuous (= not sincere; pretending to be honest).
Meaning
open and sincere; not calculating
Collocations
an ingenuous remark
|an ingenuous question
|an ingenuous confession
|an ingenuous apology
|an ingenuous response
|ingenuous honesty
|refreshingly ingenuous
|completely ingenuous
|seem ingenuous
|sound ingenuous
Synonyms
sincere (General term for being genuine and honest.)
|
candid (Emphasizes frankness, especially about difficult topics.)
|
frank (Direct and plain-spoken; can sound blunt.)
|
open (Emphasizes willingness to share thoughts and feelings.)
Antonyms
disingenuous (Pretending to be sincere while hiding a motive.)
|
guarded (Careful not to reveal true feelings or intentions.)
|
insincere (Not genuinely meant or felt.)
|
calculating (Strategically planning for advantage rather than being natural.)
Themes
communication
|personality
|social_life
Definition
honest and natural, without trying to trick anyone
Open, sincere, and without hidden motives; not trying to create a false impression.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ingenuous
IPA
GB/ɪnd͡ʒˈɛnjuəs/
US/ɪnd͡ʒˈɛnjuəs/
Syllables & stress
in - genu - ous (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (genu)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: ingenuous
Word family
Core family
ingenuously
adverb C1
Negative and opposite forms
disingenuous
adjective
disingenuously
adverb
Advanced or less common
ingenuousness
noun
disingenuousness
noun
Expressions
ingenuous to a fault
1/ɪnd͡ʒˈɛnjuəs tə ə fˈɔlt/
fixed phrase
formal
too naive or too honest
so trusting or honest that it becomes a weakness
Examples
- She’s ingenuous to a fault, so she assumes everyone means well.
- He was ingenuous to a fault and revealed details he should have kept private.
- They described him as ingenuous to a fault, which made him easy to mislead.
Learner examples
- He is ingenuous to a fault.
- She is ingenuous to a fault and trusts strangers.