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

Part of the confusion, Luft says, came from the strange experience of seeing a parent portrayed as a childlike character on screen. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2026

Eisenberg wrote a rich character for Moore, knowing what the veteran actress could do with the childlike housewife Mona who, in order to learn how to act, must find herself. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 9 Nov. 2026

This winter gives us a second chance at that childlike urge to make a statement. — Loren Savini, Allure, 6 Nov. 2026

What’s made this franchise so beloved has been its willingness to go on that journey with its young characters, maturing and deepening and changing without losing that initial childlike sense of hope and joy. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 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