wide-eyed

adjective

ˈwīd-ˈīd How to pronounce wide-eyed (audio)
Definition of wide-eyednext
1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment a wide-eyed and trusting child

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in susceptible
readily taken advantage of the sort of phony UFO "artifacts" that wide-eyed tourists fall for

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 wide-eyed Thomasin McKenzie plays a young woman, Alyce, steeped in her own trauma and loss, who attaches herself to the ploughman, and her ability to express wide-eyed, barely contained hysteria and fear is unmatched. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 That mix of wide-eyed naïveté and pragmatic nous does seem typically American. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 But mostly, Clancy has remained silent and wide-eyed, her gaze wandering around the courtroom as though searching for something. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 While a young, sloppy Georgia Tech bunch grew wide-eyed and froze in the moment, CU pounced. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wide-eyed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wide-eyed
  1. naive
  2. susceptible
  3. innocent
  4. easy
  5. inexperienced
  6. simple
Adjective
  • Rebecca and Verity, which stars Johnson, are also about a new, naïve lover entering the home of a bad man with a wife hidden in his house of horrors.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Their 16-year-old had gone from being a naive gamer to converting to an extreme vision of Islam in a matter of months – and began judging the world through that dark prism.
    — Jeff Winter, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of naive
Adjective
  • Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The most susceptible areas will be Long Beach and the Avalon Harbor on Tuesday and Wednesday and then Malibu through Ventura County from Wednesday through Friday.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of susceptible
Adjective
  • Since then, Verity had been faking her vegetative state in order to … that part doesn’t entirely make sense, but the point is Lowen and Jeremy killed an innocent woman.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The suspects are innocent unless proven guilty by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of innocent
Adjective
  • Nomadic life is not easy to continue, especially for a family that is displaced.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The activities pier provides easy access to a range of watersports, from paddleboarding to jet skiing.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of easy
Adjective
  • The problem of absent or inexperienced ambassadors goes both ways.
    — Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Officials are urging anyone spending time near the water to use a life jacket, especially children and inexperienced swimmers.
    — Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Adjective
  • That single choice unleashes a harrowing chain of strange and terrifying events in the dead of night, turning a simple gesture of kindness into a real-life nightmare.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Waffles and pimento Another enduring element of Chick-fil-A is its famously simple menu.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of simple

Browse Nearby Words

wide-awake
wide-eyed
widely
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Cite this Entry

“Wide-eyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wide-eyed. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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