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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Their childish counter-punch is HB 1430 — if the people of Colorado dare to pass Initaitve 175, we, the few dozen people of the legislature, will reduce those taxes for 3 years and take those funds away from the roads.
—
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
The whole tweet story now feels almost like a childish tale.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
The feeling was less substantial, more childish, like expecting someone to walk in and scold you for doing something wrong and not knowing where to hide.
—Francesco Pacifico, The Dial, 12 May 2026
The literature on adolescence marks middle school as a turning point, a time when kids begin to pull away from their parents, discard childish pursuits, and pursue, full thrust, the exhausting project of individuation.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for childish
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
The whole tweet story now feels almost like a childish tale.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
The feeling was less substantial, more childish, like expecting someone to walk in and scold you for doing something wrong and not knowing where to hide.
—Francesco Pacifico, The Dial, 12 May 2026
The literature on adolescence marks middle school as a turning point, a time when kids begin to pull away from their parents, discard childish pursuits, and pursue, full thrust, the exhausting project of individuation.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for childish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childish
Adjective
-
On a blind date, his descriptions of magical griffins and burning deserts sound humiliatingly immature.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
Beckham is charismatic and generally more thoughtful than the perception created by the impulsive or immature decisions that create headlines.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Rue descends into crime, working with Nazis, the feds, and a Black cowboy in a drug plot that stems from her adolescent foibles with monotone drug dealer Laurie (Martha Kelly).—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
-
Alicia begins her desperate search for her adolescent son in a wild, unknown territory, confronting her own guilt and fears.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
His new path takes him to grad school at Columbia University, with hopes to one day start his own nonprofit, Camp Reese, a bootcamp-style alternative to juvenile incarceration.—
Rina Nakano,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
Plans are in motion, however, to reuse the Lincoln Developmental Center, a compound for developmentally disabled adults that was closed years ago, as a juvenile justice facility.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Childish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childish. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
