1
as in childish
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children
told the teenagers that such puerile behavior would not be tolerated during the ceremony
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immature
lacking in adult experience or maturity
allowed the company to be taken over by a bunch of puerile whippersnappers fresh out of business school
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the kind of puerile jokes that teenage moviegoers apparently love
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puerile
Far-right conservatives have periodically dragged this bit of puerile, 19th-century chauvinism into the public square to reassure doubters that patriotism is alive and well.
—
Emery J Cummins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
Comparing the two is puerile, even by politicians’ standards.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
Even if TikTok really is shut down in the United States by the end of the month, capping at least one spigot of puerile content, the damage will have been done.
—Helen Holmes, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Lamar and his family, in this reading, are Edenic figures, inaugurating a new sort of American iconography, descended from Wood and Parks but breaking from them as well, born from the aftermath of a great—if also sometimes regrettably puerile—battle.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 11 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Emery J Cummins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
Comparing the two is puerile, even by politicians’ standards.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
Even if TikTok really is shut down in the United States by the end of the month, capping at least one spigot of puerile content, the damage will have been done.
—Helen Holmes, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Lamar and his family, in this reading, are Edenic figures, inaugurating a new sort of American iconography, descended from Wood and Parks but breaking from them as well, born from the aftermath of a great—if also sometimes regrettably puerile—battle.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 11 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puerile
Adjective
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When Smith drives us in the golf cart, hunched close to the wheel, a look of childish mischief spreads over his face.—
Sam Kestenbaum,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
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The ensuing power struggle between Woody and Buzz threatens to put their owner’s childish things away forever in Pixar’s debut feature.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Edamame Edamame are immature soybeans that are rich in protein.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
15 Jan. 2026
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The edible part of okra is the plant’s immature seedpods, which contain high levels of a substance called mucilage.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Norman spoke with Mixed Asian Media about her role in the show and how playing a hard-working ballet dancer compared to her real-life goofier and more extroverted personality.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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Ross was fairly goofy in his courtships of coaches Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton and quarterback Tom Brady.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced major changes to its childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, an age-by-age guide for health care providers on when to vaccinate children to protect them from preventable diseases.—
Liz Regalia,
Parents,
8 Jan. 2026
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The show channels a certain energetic, zany sense of humor viewers could recognize from their own adolescent friendships and antics, culminating in a five-season run and a 2021–2023 revival on Paramount+.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Ten of the top 15 quarterbacks in the portal have already committed, and after that top tier, many of the remaining quarterbacks available are either young, inexperienced passers from Power 4 programs or starters from Group of 5 or FCS schools.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
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According to the University of Massachusetts Global, teacher turnover results in a large number of inexperienced teachers being placed in classrooms, meaning more money is put toward recruiting, hiring and training.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This struck many experts as silly.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
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Frequent co-stars Johnson and Hart, known for their hilarious chemistry, have played Rock, Paper, Scissors and other silly games in promos for their movies, especially their Jumanji films.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, there is an ongoing investigation by the attorney general into possible civil rights abuses in the juvenile detention facilities.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
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The approach has been used by schools and juvenile and criminal justice systems, as well as nations grappling with large-scale atrocities.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Most people who get sick recover within a week, but infections can be severe in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
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Yu says his early experiences led him to chase achievement as a way of protecting a younger version of himself.—
Ernestine Siu,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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