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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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 Any version of art for art’s sake has always seemed a little childish to me, a bit of adolescent posturing (the phrase was apparently especially beloved by members of the 19th century Aesthetic Movement, one of the high points of a certain kind of brattiness). Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025 Very unprofessional and very very childish. Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025 Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer referred to an earlier video, also featuring Jeffries in a sombrero, as childish and evidence that the White House and the GOP were unserious about the shutdown. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025 Because, really, that childish interaction is based in love, right? Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for childish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childish
Adjective
  • After potting, pick off any flowers or immature fruit.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Move over manchildren, there are some women who would like to take your immature crown.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • No adolescent defiance or child’s anguish was visible on his face now.
    George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Read more about the adolescent biology of sleep patterns.
    NPR, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Conversely, the percentage of respondents who think juvenile offenders should be treated like adults has fallen from 65% in 2000 to a record-low 41% this year, the report said.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
  • All face charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and additional juvenile cases may be under seal.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Childish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childish. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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