ingenuous

• adj. 天真的；坦白的；正直的；朴实的

来自拉丁语ingenuus,天生的，出生高贵的，来自in-,进入，使，内在，-gen,生育，出生，词源同gene,gentle.原指出生高贵的，后引申词义真诚的，天真无邪的，但现在多用于贬义天真的，单纯的。

1. characterized by an inability to mask your feelings; not devious;

"an ingenuous admission of responsibility"

2. lacking in sophistication or worldliness;

"a child's innocent stare"

"his ingenuous explanation that he would not have burned the church if he had not thought the bishop was in it"

ingenuous

ingenuous: [16] Etymologically, ingenuous means ‘inborn’. English acquired it from Latin ingenuus, which was composed of the prefix inand the element *gen-, denoting ‘production, birth’. This was originally used for ‘born in a particular place, native, not foreign’, but it soon began to take on connotations of ‘freeborn, not a slave’, and hence ‘of noble birth’.

Metaphorical transference to qualities thought characteristic of the nobility – uprightness, candour, straightforwardness, etc – soon followed, and that was the word’s semantic slant when English acquired it. By the 17th century, however, it had started to slide towards ‘artlessness, innocence’ (a sense reflected in ingénue, borrowed from French in the 19th century).
=> gene, general, generate, genital, ingénue

ingenuous (adj.)

1590s, "noble in nature," from Latin ingenuus "with the virtues of freeborn people, of noble character, frank, upright, candid," originally "native, freeborn," from in- "in" (see in- (2)) + gen-, root of gignere "beget, produce" (see genus). Sense of "artless, innocent" is 1670s, via evolution from "high-minded" to "honorably open, straightforward," to "innocently frank." Related: Ingenuously; ingenuousness.

You're too ingenuous.

你太老实了。

牛津词典

an ingenuous smile

纯真的微笑

牛津词典

It is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision.

如果以为他的决定没有金钱的因素，那就太天真了。

牛津词典

He seemed too ingenuous for a reporter...

作为一名记者，他太老实了。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

With ingenuous sincerity, he captivated his audience.

他以自己的率真迷住了观众。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The ingenuous boy gave an account of his act, concealing nothing.

那老实的男孩毫无隐讳地说明了他的行为.

辞典例句

Brent's wide ingenuous face was puzzled and mildly indignant.

布伦特那张老实巴交的宽脸上呈现迷惑神情.

期刊摘选

The ingenuous person had never thought of being suspicious of what others told him.

天真的人从来不会怀疑他人告诉他的话.

期刊摘选

Only the most ingenuous person would believe such a weak excuse!

只有最天真的人才会相信这么一个站不住脚的借口!

辞典例句

I wrote to him an ingenuous letter of acknowledgment , craving his forbearance a little longer.

我给他写了一封十分坦率的感谢信, 希望他能再度宽容一段时间.

辞典例句

He is ingenuous, and is liked by the people around him.

他为人憨实, 周围的人都很喜欢他.

期刊摘选

His confusion and his ingenuous air were new delights to Bertha.

他的慌乱,他的憨厚的样子,重新又使伯莎感到高兴.

辞典例句

It is ingenuous of you to believe what he says.

你太天真竟会相信他说的话.

期刊摘选

He is too ingenuous in believing what people say.

他太天真,轻信别人的话.

期刊摘选

She gave ingenuous answers to the strangers'entire question.

对于这个陌生人提出的问题,她作出了坦率的回答.

期刊摘选

The ingenious child told the whole story in ingenuous manner.

那个聪明的小孩以天真无邪的口吻讲述了整个故事.

期刊摘选

It was his ingenuous smile that won Deborah's heart.

是他率直的微笑赢得了黛博拉的芳心.

期刊摘选

His ingenuous nature was always trusting.

他性格纯真,对人总是信而不疑.

辞典例句

She looked at him with an ingenuous smile.

她带着天真的微笑望着他.

辞典例句

She's an ingenuous country girl.

她是个纯真的乡村姑娘.

期刊摘选

With ingenuous sincerity, he captivated his audience.

他以自己的率真迷住了观众。

辞典例句

It is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision.

如果以为他的决定没有金钱的因素，那就太天真了。

《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》

He found her charming, but perhaps just a shade too ingenuous for him.

他觉得她很迷人，但对他来说可能又有点太过天真。

柯林斯例句

He seemed too ingenuous for a reporter.

作为一名记者，他太老实了。

柯林斯例句