INFANTILE Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

infantile

adjective

ˈin-fən-ˌtī(-ə)l

Definition of infantile

as in childish

having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children the infantile humor that teenage boys are justly famous for

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of infantile Then, there’s this rather infantile tendency for the MAGA crowd to call any content moderation an act of censorship, which is a ludicrous distortion of the truth. — Joel Khalili, Wired News, 11 Mar. 2026 The question is if his self-serving instincts overcome his infantile rage. — Arkansas Online, 9 Mar. 2026 Among them was a treatment option for infantile hypophosphatasia, a rare form of rickets that makes children’s bones dangerously fragile. — Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026 This suggests that the immune system may be involved in infantile amnesia. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 23 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for infantile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for infantile

Adjective

James’s obsessive love, his unwillingness to go on without his beloved, is treated as childish, if not a version of sweaty insanity.

— Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
In just a few short weeks, his childish, naive world becomes brutally adult.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of childish

Adjective

In the first stage, 3 to 6 months in a mouse [about 20 to 30 years in a human], there is a loss of certain fat and muscle cells, and of two immature cell types in the brain that have the capacity to regenerate different types of brain tissue.

— Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
The science remains too immature to show whether such behavior is inevitable, Hobbhahn says.

— Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of immature

Adjective

Once dismissed as overly sweet, hyper-feminine, or adolescent, the best gourmand fragrances have since evolved.

— Danielle James, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
If developmental science justifies treating adolescent offenders differently from adults, then that same science should also inform how Connecticut recognizes, protects, and supports adolescent victims.

— Keith Wortz, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of adolescent

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infant

infantile

infantilized

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“Infantile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infantile. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of infantile

adjective

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