Definition of childishnext
as in immature
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children you almost spoiled the ceremony for everyone with your childish giggling

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 childish In just a few short weeks, his childish, naive world becomes brutally adult. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 Designing a kid-friendly room no longer means settling for decor that looks childish. Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 29 July 2026 The portrait of Musk that emerges here is that of a childish, terminally online man who desires to eliminate the messiness of contemporary life for a more rigid order. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 Their ideas about it were often steeped in stereotypes suggesting that Buddhists were irrational and childish in their thinking. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for childish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childish
Adjective
  • Tests revealed that Matias had neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer that develops from immature nerve cells, per the Cleveland Clinic.
    Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • There’s nothing wrong with holding on to childhood and being a little immature from time to time.
    Loren Savini, Allure, 22 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The study involved 16 male adolescent athletes, so its findings should not be generalized to everyone.
    Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Eric Cartman The terrifically foul-mouthed, plus-sized adolescent made his debut in the pilot episode of South Park, which follows the japes and scrapes of Cartman and his pals Kyle, Stan, and Kenny in the titular Colorado enclave.
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Natascha Hedegaard, an in-house veterinary advisor for JoyFull Pet, said large and giant breeds have a longer juvenile stage than small breed dogs.
    Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Located off Statesville Road north of uptown, Jail North was a juvenile detention center from 2020 to 2022 before staffing problems forced its closure.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Childish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childish. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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