guileless en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈɡaɪl.ləs/
- [ˈɡaɪɫ.ləs]
Etymology
Etymology tree English guile Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English guileless From guile + -less.
Meanings
-
Free from guile; honest but naive.
To foreigners we often seem guileless and overchatty, an impression which is dispersed when they find that much of our friendliness is just the ebullition of the moment and does not carry with it any permanence of devotion.
1923 February 11, Mme. X. [pseudonym], “News of Chicago Society: Now That War’s Over, On with Full Dress, Men”, in The Chicago Sunday Tribune, final edition, volume LXXXII, number 6, Chicago, Ill., →ISSN, →OCLC, part 7, page 5, columns 6–7:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more guileless | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most guileless | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Translations (20)
grc ἄδολος (honest but naive) · ga soineanta (honest but naive) · bg простодушен (honest but naive) · ca candorós (honest but naive) · bn কুটিলতাবর্জিত (honest but naive) · bn নিষ্কপট (honest but naive) · is falslaus (honest but naive) · nl argeloos (honest but naive) · is heiðvirður (honest but naive) · oc candid (honest but naive) · de arglos (honest but naive) · mr निष्कपट (honest but naive) · eo simplanima (honest but naive) · oc candide (honest but naive) · fr candide (honest but naive) · is einlægur (honest but naive) · bg наивен (honest but naive) · grc εὐήθης (honest but naive) · it ingenuo (honest but naive) · ta வெள்ளை (honest but naive)