childlike

adjective

Definition of childlikenext
as in naive
resembling or suggesting a child; like that of a child a childlike honesty He had a childlike innocence that others found endearing.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 childlike Innocent, childlike ways to cope with a tragedy even most adults struggle to reckon with. — Osmary Hernández, CNN Money, 11 July 2026 For them, the love of art is a mission, at once sophisticated and childlike. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 June 2026 Adèle still has a youthful figure, and Ilyas a childlike beauty. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026 And that childlike joy led Jim to some of his best ideas. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for childlike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childlike
  1. naive
  2. genuine
  3. simple
  4. true
  5. real
  6. natural
  7. unsophisticated
Adjective
  • Nolan reinvents him as a naive young soldier left outside the horse to sell Odysseus’ deception.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • As a woman of a certain age, no one had hit me with the naïve stick.
    — Rene Denfeld, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
Definition of naive
Adjective
  • Some entry-level tasks appear to be among those most exposed to automation, and the report is candid that this is a genuine problem for a generation of new engineers.
    — Felysha Walker, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • Combining genuine acting craft with the action movie goods in a way few stars outside of Steve McQueen ever have, James was a true original.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of genuine
Adjective
  • One solution would be a relatively simple expansion of the southern end of the Stadium of Light to mirror the height of the west and north.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Food safety experts say a few simple habits can make a difference.
    — Olivia LaBorde, AJC.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • As is true for many other industries in China, intense competition at home is driving companies to expand globally.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
  • While the event offered charitable benefits, Rocket Companies' true commitment is a $500 million, 10-year philanthropic initiative.
    — Tonya M. Evans, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of true
Adjective
  • The stage will combine an LED volume wall, advanced camera tracking and real-time 3D engines to blend physical sets and actors with digital environments.
    — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 22 July 2026
  • But beyond those dates, bookings for June 10 through July 19 totaled 430K nights, roughly flat compared to last year, suggesting no real uplift on those days, Linda Rollins, an AirDNA research analyst told the Miami Herald.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Definition of real
Adjective
  • All Volcanoes lodges are hand-crafted, using local, natural products such as wood and bamboo, while art and travel books, vibrant greens of the elephant grass, and local artwork add to the calm.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026
  • The natural resistance of water helps build strength while improving cardiovascular fitness.
    — Patricia Neligan, AJC.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of natural
Adjective
  • Sophisticated scams The days of thinking of scammers as unsophisticated, disjointed actors are over in 2026, according to Yoon.
    — Ella Moore July 2, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • Phishing remains one of the most effective means of gaining access to accounts, despite the relatively unsophisticated technical prowess required.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026
Definition of unsophisticated

Browse Nearby Words

childishness
childlike
children
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Childlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childlike. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on childlike

Nglish: Translation of childlike for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inveigle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All