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

Her voice is a glowing, childlike meep, and her tingling synths massage the inside of the listener’s skull. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025

Breathtaking experiences These childlike spaces will leave you awestruck. —Malik Peay, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025

There’s this childlike wonder of living out fantasies he’s been deprived of his whole life. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025

Born from Jim Henson’s genius in the 1970s, the Muppets have long been more than just childlike puppets. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 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