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.
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 childlike
Marc Jacobs has been exploring themes of childlike wonder in his last few shows.
—
India Espy-Jones, Essence, 5 Feb. 2025
My brother navigated the single-lane, snaking roads with a mischievous, childlike grin.
—Sara Lieberman, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2025
My generation is holding on to our sense of childlike imagination.
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
By staying true to her own experiences, her music naturally encourages others to embrace courage, authenticity, and a childlike sense of wonder—an organic process that defines the heart of her artistic contribution.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childlike
India Espy-Jones, Essence, 5 Feb. 2025
My brother navigated the single-lane, snaking roads with a mischievous, childlike grin.
—Sara Lieberman, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2025
My generation is holding on to our sense of childlike imagination.
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
By staying true to her own experiences, her music naturally encourages others to embrace courage, authenticity, and a childlike sense of wonder—an organic process that defines the heart of her artistic contribution.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childlike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childlike
Adjective
-
Even a naive analysis, one that buys into some very obvious Republican budget tricks, finds that this bill cuts taxes and raises spending by $4 trillion over 10 years — but only pays for about $1.7 trillion of that.—
Ezra Klein,
Mercury News,
28 May 2025
-
In the film's early scenes, Cruise displays a naive, unwavering patriotism that seamlessly meshed with the actor's military heroics in Top Gun three years earlier — which makes Kovic's stark transition to impassioned anti-war advocacy all the more surprising in the runtime's second half.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Learning to be resilient from the inside out is essential for developing genuine capacity and successfully navigating challenging times.—
Melissa Cidado,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Being transparent in this way helps build trust and demonstrates a genuine dedication to improvement.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Track what brings business Your process on LinkedIn is simple.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
White is easy, simple, and many times, the best choice for a clean slate.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
The film also stars Yul Vazquez, Ashlie Atkinson and Spencer Watson. Co-written by Greengrass and Brad Inglesby, The Lost Bus is inspired by true events featured in Lizzie Johnson’s 2021 book Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
8 June 2025
-
Gödel showed that any system of axioms in mathematics permits the formulation of statements that can’t be shown to be true or false.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
That’s the real opportunity for the industry today.—
Shahar Man,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
However, the real star of the show is the puffer complex.—
Celeste Polanco,
Essence,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Biologic dressings help to temporarily cover wounds and support the natural healing process, essentially aiding in either the wound healing on its own or preparing it for a surgical treatment to close it.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
-
The collaboration was a natural fit for Last Rhino founder Matt Hagerman, whose entire brewing career has been about balancing approachability with craftsmanship.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
During arguments on Wednesday, Megan Savard — attorney for Carter Hart — said that Howden was an unsophisticated, inarticulate witness who didn’t even dress properly for court.—
Dan Robson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Kate Rockwell is sweet and wide-eyed as the kind but unsophisticated Jane.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Childlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childlike. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share