Guileless
mediumPositive toneGYL-lis
adjective
Definition
Innocent and without deception; artless and sincere
Memory hook
GUILE-LESS: without GUILE — innocent, honest, and free from cunning or deception.
Examples
“Her guileless expression convinced everyone of her sincerity.”
“The guileless child spoke truthfully without understanding the consequences.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“Her ______ expression convinced everyone of her sincerity.”
Show answer
guileless
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Guileless is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "ingenuous" or "artless" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "cunning".
Related GRE Words
ingenuous
Innocent and unsuspecting; candid and sincere
artless
free of guile or pretense; naturally simple and sincere
forthright
Direct and outspoken; straightforward and honest
naive
Showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment
veracious
Speaking or representing the truth; truthful
credulous
Having or showing too great a readiness to believe things
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