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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Recent Examples of childish
Forget all this childish behavior and just stop being so petty.
—
Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
This sort of behavior is childish and unsophisticated.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
These people are so childish and petty.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2026
Maybe this is just appealing to my simplest, most childish instincts, reacting to bright colours like a toddler might.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for childish
Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
This sort of behavior is childish and unsophisticated.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
These people are so childish and petty.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2026
Maybe this is just appealing to my simplest, most childish instincts, reacting to bright colours like a toddler might.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for childish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childish
Adjective
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Preterm and low-birth-weight babies are at higher risk than full-term babies of developing NEC, potentially because of their immature digestive systems, according to the National Institutes of Health.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
-
When the eggs hatch, the immature stages start feeding.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For those who perhaps find Euphoria a touch too harrowing (or exaggerated) to watch, Skins provides a perfect middle-ground with more authentic adolescent experiences that still flirt with darkness.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
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Early, who wrote and directed, also stars as the title character, Maddie Ralph, a food influencer who is secretly struggling with the return of an adolescent eating disorder.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Official charges come after two students were arrested and two were given juvenile citations, according to a police department spokesman.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
7 Mar. 2026
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He was taken to a juvenile assessment center.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Childish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childish. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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