naive
gb/nˌaɪˈiv/ us/nˌaɪˈiv/
B2
English
~ 8100
naiv, hiszékeny, naiv művészet, leegyszerűsítő
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is naive (about [something])
At nineteen he was still naive about how business really worked.
Tizenkilenc évesen még mindig naiv volt azzal kapcsolatban, hogyan működik valójában az üzleti világ.
She’s a little naive, and people sometimes take advantage of her kindness.
Egy kicsit naiv, és az emberek néha kihasználják a kedvességét.
It was naive to think that the company would change its policy overnight.
He has a rather naive belief that everyone is basically honest.
You’re being naive if you think online information is always reliable.
Learner examples
He is very young and a bit naive.
Nagyon fiatal, és kissé naiv.
I was naive and believed everything he said.
Naiv voltam, és mindent elhittem, amit mondott.
She is naive about money and spends it too easily.
It is naive to think that life is always fair.
They were naive and trusted the stranger without any questions.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "naive" with "stupid." "Naive" means someone trusts too easily or lacks experience, but they are not necessarily unintelligent. Another common mistake is spelling it like "native" or thinking it has the same meaning; these are completely different words. Also, learners may not realize that "naïve" with two dots over the i is just another spelling of "naive."
Meaning
too trusting; inexperienced
Collocations
a bit naive
|painfully naive
|hopelessly naive
|politically naive
|naive about [something]
|it is naive to think (that)
Synonyms
gullible (Stronger and more negative; suggests someone is very easy to trick or cheat, more than just inexperienced.)
|
trusting (More neutral and sometimes positive; does not always suggest that the person will be taken advantage of.)
Antonyms
worldly (Describes someone experienced and not easily surprised or fooled by people or situations.)
|
cynical (Suggests expecting the worst from people and not trusting their motives, the opposite of naive trust.)
Themes
personality
|social_life
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Trusting people or ideas too much because you do not have enough experience or do not think carefully about them.
Too ready to believe people or ideas because of a lack of experience, information, or critical judgment.
C1
2
naiv
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] has a naive [quality]
The book’s naive style makes it easy and pleasant to read.
A könyv naiv stílusa miatt könnyű és kellemes olvasni.
There is a naive charm to the film’s simple story and basic special effects.
A film egyszerű történetének és kezdetleges látványtrükkjeinek van egyfajta naiv bája.
His naive view of the world ignores many hard political realities.
The letter was touching in its naive honesty.
Her early songs have a naive simplicity that fans still love.
Learner examples
The movie is simple and a little naive, but I like it.
A film egyszerű és kissé naiv, de nekem tetszik.
Her drawing is naive, but it feels very honest.
A rajza naiv, de nagyon őszintének hat.
He has a naive idea of what life in a big city is like.
The story is naive, with clear good and bad characters.
Some people enjoy the naive style of old children’s books.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "naive" for any simple thing, even when they just mean "easy" or "basic." "Naive" suggests a kind of honest simplicity or lack of sophistication, not just low difficulty. Also, learners may overuse this sense for people, where it can sound like a personal criticism instead of a neutral comment on style or outlook.
Meaning
simple and unsophisticated in style
Collocations
naive charm
|naive style
|naive simplicity
|naive view of the world
|naive story
|a little naive
Synonyms
unsophisticated (Neutral and slightly formal; focuses more on being simple or not polished than on innocence.)
|
childlike (Often more positive; suggests innocent and simple in a sweet or pure way.)
Antonyms
sophisticated (Describes something or someone polished, complex, and fully developed in taste or style.)
|
worldly-wise (Emphasizes long experience and practical knowledge, especially of social life and culture.)
Themes
personality
|culture
|appearance
|core_vocabulary
|arts_entertainment
Definition
Simple and not very modern or sophisticated, sometimes in a fresh or honest way.
Showing a simple, childlike, or unsophisticated quality, especially in personal style, opinions, or creative work.
C1
TECHNICAL
3
naiv
C1
Usage pattern:
naive [painting / artist / style]
The museum has a small collection of naive art from rural France.
A múzeumnak van egy kisebb gyűjteménye vidéki francia naiv művészetből.
Her paintings were once dismissed as naive, but are now highly valued.
Festményeit egykor naivnak bélyegezték, ma viszont nagyra értékelik őket.
The book is filled with naive illustrations of village life.
He developed a naive style that ignored perspective but captured strong emotion.
Critics praised the naive landscape for its bright colors and simple forms.
Learner examples
The gallery shows many naive paintings by local artists.
A galériában sok helyi művész naiv festménye látható.
His drawing looks naive, like a child made it.
A rajza naivnak hat, mintha egy gyerek készítette volna.
She likes naive art because it feels open and honest.
This naive picture of a house has very simple lines.
They collect naive art from different countries.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "naive artist" always means the person is personally inexperienced or easily fooled. In art, it usually refers to their lack of formal training and the simple, childlike style of their work.
Meaning
simple, childlike style in art
Collocations
naive art
|naive painter
|naive style
|naive landscape
|naive portrait
|naive depiction
Synonyms
primitive (In art history, can describe early or non-academic styles, but may sound negative or outdated in casual use.)
|
folk (Relates more to traditional or local community art; overlaps with naive but focuses on cultural roots, not childlike style.)
Antonyms
academic (Describes art made in a formal, trained tradition that follows established rules.)
|
realistic (Opposes the simplified, childlike look of naive art by aiming to copy reality in detail.)
Themes
art
|culture
|arts_entertainment
Definition
Used about art that looks simple and childlike, often made by someone who did not study art in school.
In art, produced in a simple, childlike style that ignores traditional rules of perspective and proportion, typically by an artist without formal training.
C1
TECHNICAL
4
naiv
C1
Usage pattern:
naive [approach / solution / algorithm]
The naive algorithm works for small datasets but is far too slow for large ones.
A naiv algoritmus kis adathalmazokon működik, de nagyokon túlságosan lassú.
This is a naive solution that ignores security risks.
Ez naiv megoldás, amely figyelmen kívül hagyja a biztonsági kockázatokat.
A naive approach would be to test every possible answer until one fits.
Their initial model was naive and did not include any random variation.
Engineers first implement a naive version before optimizing the code.
Learner examples
The naive method is easy, but it is very slow.
A naiv módszer egyszerű, de nagyon lassú.
This is a naive solution that does not think about cost.
Ez naiv megoldás, amely nem veszi figyelembe a költségeket.
We started with a naive model and then made it better.
A naive algorithm checks every item one by one.
The teacher showed a naive way and then a faster way.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "naive algorithm" is a compliment meaning "clear" or "elegant." In technical fields it often implies that the method is too simple and not practical for real use.
Meaning
simple but unsophisticated approach
Collocations
naive approach
|naive solution
|naive algorithm
|naive implementation
|naive model
|naive method
Synonyms
simplistic (Suggests the approach is too simple and misses important details, often slightly more negative.)
|
straightforward (Focuses on being direct and easy to understand; does not always imply the hidden problems that "naive" suggests.)
Antonyms
sophisticated (Describes a method that is advanced, carefully designed, and takes many factors into account.)
|
robust (Emphasizes handling many real-world problems well, the opposite of a fragile or naive method.)
Themes
technology
|science
|math
|education
Definition
Describes a method or idea that is very simple and easy to understand, but does not think about real problems like speed or safety.
Used about a method, theory, or solution that is simple and straightforward but ignores important complexities such as efficiency, security, or realistic conditions.
Grammar
Dictionary form
naive
IPA
GB/nˌaɪˈiv/
US/nˌaɪˈiv/
Syllables & stress
na - ive (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ive)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: naive
Word family
Negative and opposite forms
sophisticated
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
naivete
noun
Expressions
be naive to think that
1/bˈi nˌaɪˈiv tə θˈɪŋk ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
say a belief is unrealistic
Used to say that believing something is too simple and does not match how things really are.
Examples
- You’d be naive to think that the internet always tells you the truth.
- It’s naive to think that money alone will solve the problem.
- We were naive to think that starting a business would be easy.
call me naive, but
1/kˈɔl mˈi nˌaɪˈiv | bˈʌt/
fixed phrase
informal
preface a possibly naive opinion
Used before you say an opinion, to show you know it might sound naive or too simple.
Examples
- Call me naive, but I still think most people are basically good.
- Call me naive, but I believe hard work usually pays off.
- Call me naive, but I thought the government would act faster.
how naive of me
1/hˈaʊ nˌaɪˈiv əv mˈi/
fixed phrase
admit your own naive mistake
Used to say, often with some humor, that you now see your past idea or action was naive.
Examples
- I thought he would call me back right away—how naive of me.
- I trusted the ad without checking the reviews, how naive of me.
- I believed I could finish the report in one hour; how naive of me.
in my naive view
1/ˈɪn mˈaɪ nˌaɪˈiv vjˈu/
fixed phrase
present your limited viewpoint
Used before you give your opinion, to show that you know you may not understand everything.
Examples
- In my naive view, the solution seems quite simple.
- In my naive view, they should just talk to each other directly.
- In my naive view, the policy hurts more people than it helps.
naive art
1/nˌaɪˈiv ˈɑɹt/
fixed phrase
technical
art in a naive style
Art that looks simple and childlike, usually made by artists who did not have formal art training.
Examples
- She specializes in collecting naive art from Eastern Europe.
- The exhibition of naive art attracted many visitors.
- His paintings are often described as naive art.
naive Bayes
1/nˌaɪˈiv bˈeɪz/
fixed phrase
technical
simple probabilistic classifier model
In computer science and statistics, a simple method for classifying data that treats different features as independent, even when they are not.
Examples
- We used a naive Bayes model to filter spam emails.
- Naive Bayes is often taught as an introduction to machine learning.
- Despite its simple assumptions, naive Bayes can perform surprisingly well.
naive question
1/nˌaɪˈiv kwˈɛst͡ʃən/
fixed phrase
simple question from inexperience
A question that shows you do not know much about the subject, often used to apologize before you ask.
Examples
- This may be a naive question, but how do interest rates actually affect me?
- Sorry if this is a naive question, but why can’t we just print more money?
- She smiled and said, "That’s not a naive question at all."
naive realism
1/nˌaɪˈiv ɹˈiəlɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
belief world is as perceived
In philosophy and psychology, the idea that things in the world are exactly as they look or feel to us, without any change by our minds.
Examples
- Many people start with a kind of naive realism about perception.
- The course contrasts naive realism with more complex theories of knowledge.
- Naive realism treats sensory experience as a direct window onto reality.
politically naive
1/pəlˈɪtɪkəli nˌaɪˈiv/
fixed phrase
inexperienced in political matters
Not understanding how politics or power really work in the world or in an organization.
Examples
- He’s smart, but politically naive and easy to outmaneuver.
- The proposal was dismissed as politically naive.
- Young activists are often politically naive but very passionate.
socially naive
1/sˈoʊʃəli nˌaɪˈiv/
fixed phrase
inexperienced in social situations
Not understanding social rules or how to behave with other people in a smart way.
Examples
- He’s a bit socially naive and sometimes says the wrong thing.
- Coming from a small town, she felt socially naive in the big city.
- Being socially naive, he didn’t realize his joke was rude.