Ingenious vs. ingenuous: what’s the difference?
The short answer
Ingenious means clever, inventive, or resourceful, often in solving problems. Ingenuous means innocent, straightforward, or showing childlike honesty and sincerity. Their meanings are essentially opposite, with ingenious relating to intelligence and ingenuity, while ingenuous relates to openness and lack of sophistication.
What they have in common
Both words are adjectives and have Latin origins. They look and sound very similar, which often causes confusion between them.
Examples
ingenious
- She came up with an ingenious solution to the complex problem.
- The ingenious inventor patented dozens of unique gadgets.
- His ingenious plan surprised everyone in the room.
ingenuous
- Her ingenuous smile made everyone trust her instantly.
- The child’s ingenuous questions revealed a natural curiosity.
- He gave an ingenuous response, clearly unaware of the underlying sarcasm.
Which one is more common?
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