childish

adjective

child·​ish ˈchī(-ə)l-dish 

1

: of, relating to, or befitting a child or childhood

childish desires for toys

2

a

: marked by or suggestive of immaturity and lack of poise

a childish spiteful remark

b

: lacking complexity : simple

it's a childish device, but it works

c

: deteriorated with age especially in mind : senile

his parents … were both getting childish and needed care

—Pearl Buck

childishly adverb

childishness noun

Synonyms

• adolescent
• babyish
• immature
• infantile
• jejune
• juvenile
• kiddish
• puerile

Examples of childish in a Sentence

She has a childish face.

a letter written in childish scrawl

He opened the gifts with childish delight.

We're tired of their childish games.

I find his humor very childish.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Empty House Oh, for the sound of laughter to echo in the empty halls, oh, for the sound of children’s voices, their clear childish calls. —Monitor Contributing Poets, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2024

His feet are curled in childish concentration; soft sunlight dapples the scene. —Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see child

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

childish

adjective

child·​ish ˈchīl-dish 

1

: of, resembling, or suitable to a child

childish laughter

2

: showing the less pleasing qualities (as silliness) often thought to be those of children

childishly adverb

childishness noun