childlike

adjective

child·​like ˈchī(-ə)l(d)-ˌlīk 

: resembling, suggesting, or appropriate to a child or childhood

especially : marked by innocence, trust, and ingenuousness

childlike delight

childlikeness noun

Examples of childlike in a Sentence

a grown woman with a childlike face

We gazed at it in childlike wonder.

She took a childlike glee in describing every detail.

Recent Examples on the Web

The monochromatic set elevates the scallop with a textured embroidery, keeping it from feeling too childlike or overly saccharine. —Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 Feb. 2026

There’s an element of childlike wonder to it all, fantasy made real. —Violet Goldstone, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026

Seated with his fellow rotation mates on a plastic chair behind a row of cameras, Skubal looked on with a childlike twinkle in his eye. —Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026

But Kelly can’t summon interior weight, so the breakdown reads as wooden and childlike rather than wrenching. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for childlike

• alike
• belike
• birdlike
• catlike
• christlike
• deathlike
• dislike
• dreamlike
• friedreich
• godlike
• hairlike
• homelike

Kids Definition

childlike

adjective

child·​like ˈchīl(d)-ˌlīk 

1

: resembling, suggesting, or suitable to a child or childhood

2

: showing the more pleasing qualities (as innocence or trustfulness) often thought to be those of children

childlike delight