If there’s a crossword clue that made me groan the moment I saw it and groan again after I learned the answer, it has to be “dewy-eyed heroine”. This one showed up at 21 Across in the NYT Crossword on February 19, 2025, and let me tell you, it’s not a word you’d toss around in everyday conversation unless you’re writing stage directions for a 19th-century play.
The clue paints a pretty clear picture: we’re talking about a wide-eyed, soft-spoken character who probably gets swept off her feet halfway through act two. The kind of archetype that’s more at home in classic theatre or old Disney films than in anything modern. Still, it’s a great example of the kind of vocabulary crossword clues can dig up and the kind that makes you mutter “huh” once it finally clicks. Let’s break it down.
Dewy-eyed Heroine Crossword Clue Hints
Need a nudge to crack the clue Dewy-eyed heroine? Here are a few spoiler-free hints to guide you.
- The answer starts with the letter I.
- It’s seven letters long.
- It’s an anagram of the word GENUINE.
Dewy-eyed Heroine Crossword Clue Answer
The answer is INGENUE.
Borrowed from the French word ingénue, and closely tied to the English ingenuous, this term captures a specific character archetype seen time and again across literature and film. An ingenue is a young, naive woman who is often cast as the wide-eyed romantic lead. In short, the embodiment of innocence. If you think of characters who enter the story untainted by cynicism, led more by emotion, you’ve found your match.
Disney princesses like Snow White, Cinderella, or Ariel are textbook examples. Each begins her tale hopeful and trusting, and though the world may challenge that outlook, they often hold onto their sincerity until the very end. That’s the hallmark of an ingenue and why the word fits the clue Dewy-eyed heroine
