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

There is something childlike about Douglas — or dog-like, as Lucas says. —Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 25 Dec. 2025

In her fifth collaboration with filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone is light-years away from their childlike Poor Things creation. —Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025

Snowboarding fresh powder gives me the same thrill as surfing an ocean wave, and sledding still brings me a childlike joy. —Jen Murphy, Outside, 20 Dec. 2025

Epic Universe, for example, transports visitors into worlds of childlike wonder. —Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 19 Dec. 2025

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