1
as in childish
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children
told the teenagers that such puerile behavior would not be tolerated during the ceremony
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immature
lacking in adult experience or maturity
allowed the company to be taken over by a bunch of puerile whippersnappers fresh out of business school
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the kind of puerile jokes that teenage moviegoers apparently love
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puerile
The whole matter is puerile, and Sheriff Gahler should accept he’s met his match in Cassilly.
—
Aegis Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2024
The reflexive response to the sight of André Onana standing, yet again, with his head bowed and his shoulders slumped after Manchester United’s gloriously puerile draw with Galatasaray on Wednesday is sympathy.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
Trump is, always and forever, a puerile bully, stuck perpetually on the fifth-grade playground.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024
The inexplicable twists are interspersed with puerile action scenes.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Aegis Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2024
The reflexive response to the sight of André Onana standing, yet again, with his head bowed and his shoulders slumped after Manchester United’s gloriously puerile draw with Galatasaray on Wednesday is sympathy.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
Trump is, always and forever, a puerile bully, stuck perpetually on the fifth-grade playground.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024
The inexplicable twists are interspersed with puerile action scenes.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puerile
Adjective
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There’s something mystical about him and a little bit childish.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
10 June 2025
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This does not imply that college students should be taught childish skills but rather acknowledges the need to foster emotional coping skills and positive relationships throughout the academic careers of students.—
Eric Wood,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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The three childlike siblings, who all wear thick black-rimmed Coke-bottled glasses and often speak in cartoonish unison, were previously a cost-saving embarrassment for the Chiefs, but their penchant for brawling and immature antics quickly garner the team popularity as ruthless heels.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
19 Aug. 2025
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Plus, Wendy and the hybrids are all children placed into adult robot bodies, resulting in adult actors acting like immature children, which can get grating.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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About six months later, the Parker family — including Bernedoodle Ben, the household boss; and Toby, the energetic and goofy chocolate Labrador — moved into their new home.—
Lennie Omalza,
The Courier-Journal,
1 Aug. 2025
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Aside from all the goofy mistakes and delays, use today’s influence to finish old work, especially work that requires thinking outside the box.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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His adolescent daughter Louise was standing beneath a big top in a rural French town preparing to enter the center ring.—
April White,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Aug. 2025
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The movement’s salience can be attributed to three pillars: its relative discretion, its algorithmic monopoly and the collective feeling of disenfranchisement among adolescent and teenage men.—
Preeti Kulkarni,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Similar to the first film, families will enjoy silly slapstick mixed with great chemistry between Lohan and Curtis, who are just as good together.—
Katie Grant,
Parents,
7 Aug. 2025
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In one silly snap, Cannon could be seen wearing a red sweatsuit and posing with four of his kids.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The two worked together before entering city government on projects surrounding the juvenile justice system and youth incarceration.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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The arrest of a 13-year-old boy in connection with a series of armed carjackings and robberies across Baltimore has sparked a debate on juvenile crime and the effectiveness of the Department of Juvenile Services.—
Keith Daniels,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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For the first autopsy, an Army doctor named Kosaka made an incision into the abdominal section of the body of a young soldier.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
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Reserve time each day to reflect on internet use Face-to-face communication can make a huge difference for young people who are tending to stay online for long hours at a time.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Bodyguard of Lies, an investigation into the United States’ bloody, costly, and ultimately futile war in Afghanistan, will open theatrically for a limited run in New York on September 12, before bowing on the Paramount+ platform on Sept. 23.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
13 Aug. 2025
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But given the likely futile nature of the Braves' remaining games at that point, he might unofficially be done for the year.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
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