guileless

[ gahyl-lis ]
See synonyms for: guilelessguilelesslyguilelessness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. free from deception or slyness; sincere and straightforward: No matter the situation, she was always transparent, guileless, and above any petty manipulative ploys.

  2. lacking awareness of the world and worldly things; innocent or naive: He agreed to this crafty proposal, being guileless, and soon found himself betrayed and in trouble.

Origin of guileless

1
First recorded in 1720–30; guile + -less

Other words for guileless

Other words from guileless

  • guile·less·ly, adverb
  • guile·less·ness, noun

Words Nearby guileless

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use guileless in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for guileless

guileless

/ (ˈɡaɪllɪs) /


adjective
  1. free from guile; ingenuous

Derived forms of guileless

  • guilelessly, adverb
  • guilelessness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012