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Wide-eyed

adj. joyful, hopeful warm

What it means

Meaning 1

Showing open wonder, curiosity, or delighted surprise.

Reach for it when praising fresh attention when innocence is not being used to diminish someone

Wide-eyed visitors watched the first turtle reach the sea.

Meaning 2

Inexperienced and too ready to believe or admire.

Reach for it when describing naivety when the cautionary meaning is genuinely intended

The wide-eyed recruit trusted the impressive title before checking the contract.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2
everyday
warm
professional
formal
literary

Meaning 1: Showing open wonder, curiosity, or delighted surprise.

  • everyday

    delighted

    Fits when pleasure rather than surprise is central

    Careful Delight can be familiar and does not imply open astonishment.

  • warm

    curious

    Fits when desire to learn matters more than visible amazement

    Careful Curiosity can be calm and skeptical rather than wide-eyed.

  • formal

    awed

    Fits when grandeur or power inspires reverent wonder

    Careful Awe is more solemn and may include fear.

  • literary

    wonderstruck

    Fits when awe has temporarily overwhelmed ordinary attention

    Careful Wonderstruck is stronger and less suitable for steady curiosity.

Meaning 2: Inexperienced and too ready to believe or admire.

  • everyday

    unsuspecting

    Fits when someone does not anticipate deception or harm

    Careful Unsuspecting describes one situation and does not claim general inexperience.

  • warm

    idealistic

    Fits when high principles shape hope

    Careful Idealism can be informed and practical, so it should not be equated with wide-eyed naivety.

  • professional

    naive

    Fits when lack of experience impairs judgment

    Careful Naive is more direct and usually more critical than wide-eyed.

  • formal

    credulous

    Fits when willingness to believe weak claims is the exact problem

    Careful Credulous is harsher and requires evidence of poor skepticism.

Opposites 4

  • unimpressed
  • blasé
  • skeptical
  • worldly

Common phrases 3

  • wide-eyed wonder

    The children watched the eclipse with wide-eyed wonder.

  • wide-eyed curiosity

    Wide-eyed curiosity led Aya to ask how every instrument worked.

  • wide-eyed newcomer

    A wide-eyed newcomer, he learned to check every promised benefit.

Usage notes

Keep in mind

Wide-eyed can patronize adults by equating openness with naivety. Use curious or wonderstruck when inexperience is not relevant.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated