artless

[ ahrt-lis ]

adjective

1. free from deceit, cunning, or craftiness; ingenuous:

   an artless child.

   Synonyms: sincere, candid, unaffected, plain, frank, open, guileless, unsophisticated, naive

   Antonyms: cunning

2. not artificial; natural; simple; uncontrived:

   artless beauty; artless charm.

3. lacking art, knowledge, or skill.
4. poorly made; inartistic; clumsy; crude:

   an artless translation.

artless

/ ˈɑːtlɪs /

adjective

1. free from deceit, guile, or artfulness; ingenuous

   an artless remark

2. natural, without artifice; unpretentious

   artless elegance

3. without art or skill

Derived Forms

• ˈartlessness, noun
• ˈartlessly, adverb

Other Words From

• artless·ly adverb
• artless·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of artless¹

First recorded in 1580–90; art ¹ + -less

Example Sentences

"If the candidates are unwilling to say anything new and provocative, the media will focus on their misstatements and artless dodges. ... Playing it safe is the most dangerous thing Harris can do."

From Salon

What’s more, if the candidates are unwilling to say anything new and provocative from day to day, the media, to the extent they cover them at all, will focus on their misstatements and artless dodges.

From Salon

Like the Twitter-addled, red-leaning VCs in his orbit, he is coasting on pure capital momentum—the David Sacks method—totally artless save for the ability to buy a few news cycles.

From Slate

Maria’s first story collection, “Artless Tales,” was published when she was 14; it did well enough to lead the sisters to hope that their literary work could support their mother while their three brothers were in apprenticeships and school.

From Washington Post

That problem becomes acute in long, artless passages of editorializing — about, say, Ronald Reagan or the Catholic Church — that have all the considered insight of barbershop chatter.

From Washington Post