wet behind the ears
Fresh off boat
Wet behind the ears describes someone young, naive, or inexperienced—not yet dried off from birth, like a newborn animal.
The phrase usually carries mild condescension: He's still wet behind the ears; give him a few years before you trust him with the big accounts.
Often shortened to wet behind the ears or used as a compound adjective: a wet-behind-the-ears recruit.
Inexperienced newcomer
- noviceInexperienced newcomer to field
- greenhornInexperienced, gullible newcomer
- neophyteInexperienced beginner
- fledglingInexperienced newcomer
tyro · tenderfoot · raw · unseasoned · unpolished · unskilled · unpracticed · untried
Easily deceived
- credulousProne to blind trust
- trustingInclined to believe others
- innocentFree from moral wrong
- naiveInnocently unsuspecting
simple · childlike · impressionable · unworldly · ingenuous · unsuspecting · unaware · wide-eyed
Inexperienced person, informally
- freshmanFirst-year student
- recruitNew member sought
- traineeOne being instructed
- apprenticeLearner bound to employer
intern · cadet · probationer · initiate · entrant · new kid · new hire · new arrival
rookie
Inexperienced newcomer
- noviceInexperienced newcomer to field
- greenhornInexperienced, gullible newcomer
- neophyteInexperienced beginner
fledgling · tyro · tenderfoot · raw · unseasoned · unpolished · unskilled · unpracticed · untried · untested
gullible
Easily deceived
naive · simple · childlike · impressionable · unworldly · ingenuous · unsuspecting · unaware · wide-eyed · starry-eyed
newbie
Inexperienced person, informally
apprentice · intern · cadet · probationer · initiate · entrant · new kid · new hire · new arrival · inductee
- novicesnovice, beginner, rookie, newbie, greenhorn
- youth sayingsfountain of youth, salad days, spring chicken, tender age, young at heart
- naivetenaivety, naive, innocence, gullible, gullibility
- learning termstraining, basics, fundamentals, foundation, groundwork
- immaturityimmature, childish, juvenile, infantile, puerile