artless
adjective
art·less ˈärt-ləs 
1
: lacking art, knowledge, or skill : uncultured
an artless brute
2
a
: made without skill : crude
an artless attempt to win votes
b
: free from artificiality : natural
artless grace
3
: free from guile or craft : sincerely simple
an artless young woman
artlessly adverb
artlessness noun
Did you know?
Artless, ingenuous, and naive all refer to freedom from pretension or calculation, but there are subtle differences in their uses. Ingenuous implies an inability to disguise or conceal one's feelings, while naive suggests a credulous lack of worldly wisdom. Artless generally indicates an appearance of utter naturalness, one in which a person is (or seems to be) innocent of the effect of his or her speech or behavior on others.
Synonyms
- genuine
- guileless
- honest
- ingenuous
- innocent
- naive
- naïve
- natural
- real
- simple
- sincere
- true
- unaffected
- unpretending
- unpretentious
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Her simple artless charm won us over instantly. a genuine and artless girl
Recent Examples on the Web This legal argument is a house of marked cards, and an artless one at that, but that doesn’t matter to Trump and company. 
Jonathan Stevenson, The New York Review of Books, 15 May 2020 On Tuesday, the small-screen vista was limited to artless shots of House impeachment managers and Mr. Trump’s lawyers at their lecterns, with an occasional overhead glimpse of the chamber thrown in. New York Times, 21 Jan. 2020 At 90 minutes or less, this movie’s flat acting, choppy conversations, artless cinematography and sub-David Lynch surrealism would be easy to dismiss. Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2019 These artless snapshots annoy Noah, the grandson of a famous photographer. BostonGlobe.com, 26 Sep. 2019 Polpette were artless spheres of cooked ground beef without enough salt or spice to give them life. Bill Addison, latimes.com, 11 July 2019 Brittany Murphy plays an artless, dorky pageant contestant named Lisa, and Amy Adams is Leslie, a contestant who occupies the obligatory role of slutty cheerleader. Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 5 July 2019 The lyrics are as unadorned as her pole-work is impressive, a juxtaposition of plain, artless language and strenuous performance. Billboard Staff, Billboard, 20 June 2019 The diction is simple, the writing artless; the world of the novel, told in a basic third-person voice, claustrophobic. E. Tammy Kim, The New York Review of Books, 7 Mar. 2019 See More
Jonathan Stevenson, The New York Review of Books, 15 May 2020 On Tuesday, the small-screen vista was limited to artless shots of House impeachment managers and Mr. Trump’s lawyers at their lecterns, with an occasional overhead glimpse of the chamber thrown in. New York Times, 21 Jan. 2020 At 90 minutes or less, this movie’s flat acting, choppy conversations, artless cinematography and sub-David Lynch surrealism would be easy to dismiss. Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2019 These artless snapshots annoy Noah, the grandson of a famous photographer. BostonGlobe.com, 26 Sep. 2019 Polpette were artless spheres of cooked ground beef without enough salt or spice to give them life. Bill Addison, latimes.com, 11 July 2019 Brittany Murphy plays an artless, dorky pageant contestant named Lisa, and Amy Adams is Leslie, a contestant who occupies the obligatory role of slutty cheerleader. Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 5 July 2019 The lyrics are as unadorned as her pole-work is impressive, a juxtaposition of plain, artless language and strenuous performance. Billboard Staff, Billboard, 20 June 2019 The diction is simple, the writing artless; the world of the novel, told in a basic third-person voice, claustrophobic. E. Tammy Kim, The New York Review of Books, 7 Mar. 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
art entry 1 + -less
First Known Use
1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1
artlessness
noun
as in naturalness
the quality or state of being simple and sincere the artlessness of young children should be cherished while it lasts Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- naturalness
- simplicity
- innocence
- sincerity
- ingenuousness
- guilelessness
- naïveté
- unworldliness
- unsophistication
- simpleness
- naivete
- naïvety
- naivety
- ignorance
- naiveté
- naiveness
- simplemindedness
- greenness
- frankness
- optimism
- unpretentiousness
- honesty
- straightforwardness
- genuineness
- carelessness
- idealism
- viridity
- childishness
- candor
- unaffectedness
- inexperience
- callowness
- insularity
- openness
- thoughtlessness
- heedlessness
- rawness
- impressionability
- parochialism
- unawareness
- credulousness
- gullibility
- obliviousness
- provincialism
- credulity
- impracticality
- coltishness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sophistication
- cynicism
- worldliness
- artfulness
- artificiality
- dishonesty
- insincerity
- pretentiousness
- disbelief
- knowingness
- incredulity
- deviousness
- suspiciousness
- affectedness
- wariness
- carefulness
- pessimism
- skepticism
- maturity
- caution
- doubtfulness
- street smarts
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