Disingenuous
Not candid or sincere; intentionally pretending to be naive or harmless in order to mislead others.
adjectiveDisingenuous
Not candid or sincere; intentionally pretending to be naive or harmless in order to mislead others.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine a coworker who smiles and nods at every suggestion in a meeting, then quietly acts on a plan that contradicts what they just seemed to support.
Sounds Like
dis-in-JEN-yoo-uhs
Looks Like
Resembles ingenuous (naive) but with the dis- prefix, signaling the opposite.
Remember This
Disingenuous is the opposite of ingenuous. It is often confused with ingenious due to similar spelling; disingenuous refers to insincerity, not cleverness.
Other Forms
Connect With
insincere, deceitful, duplicitous, hypocritical; contrast with ingenuous, sincere, candid
Note
Use disingenuous to describe deliberate insincerity or feigned innocence aimed at manipulation. Do not confuse with 'disingenuous' meaning merely 'not straightforward' in casual speech; it typically carries a sense of deceit.