puerile

adjective

ˈpyu̇(-ə)r-əl How to pronounce puerile (audio)
Definition of puerilenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity the kind of puerile jokes that teenage moviegoers apparently love

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 puerile Mozart, however, isn’t merely a puerile rascal, as his relationship with Lauren Worsham’s Constanze reveals. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026 The latter’s taste for puerile subject matter and sing-song melodies plays into Swords2’s homage to early-’90s emo. — Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 10 Jan. 2026 The book, which has a decidedly feminist bent, becomes a surprise best-seller, and soon Penelope finds herself in Hollywood, surrounded by blowhard executives and puerile male screenwriters who want to adapt her work into a blockbuster. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026 The Twits are so gross and puerile and nasty in the book. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for puerile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puerile
  1. childish
  2. immature
  3. goofy
  4. adolescent
  5. inexperienced
  6. silly
  7. juvenile
  8. young
Adjective
  • The basics of investing are set out in accessible, but not childish, terms, and the little tutorials are free of any hint of edutainment or corniness.
    — Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • The portrait of Musk that emerges here is that of a childish, terminally online man who desires to eliminate the messiness of contemporary life for a more rigid order.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
Definition of childish
Adjective
  • If speed and trust are still presented as a trade-off in 2026, that is a sign of an immature solution, not an inherent limitation.
    — Susan Laine, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Edamame Edamame are young, immature soybeans harvested early.
    — Eleesha Lockett, Verywell Health, 17 July 2026
Definition of immature
Adjective
  • And even though Buffett’s gone, his music still spread goofy fun in Fort Worth Saturday night.
    — Jake Harris July 26, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 July 2026
  • Is there a goofier archetype than the too-intense tennis star?
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Definition of goofy
Adjective
  • Globally, adolescent girls spend more time than boys performing household chores.
    — Courtney Busch, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • The brain’s reward and emotional systems develop earlier than the executive function centers that provide impulse control, and this imbalance peaks during the adolescent years.
    — J. Todd R. Lawrence, STAT, 27 July 2026
Definition of adolescent
Adjective
  • The Dolphins entered camp with a young and relatively inexperienced group of edge rushers, placing the Michigan product in the unusual position of being asked to help lead others while still fighting to reestablish himself.
    — Tyler M. Carmona July 30, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Others point out working with an inexperienced pitching coach, working behind a bad defense and working without a contract for next season as pieces to the puzzle.
    — Will Sammon, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Adjective
  • Kind of a silly riddle, but what’s life if not a little silly.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • Ranking titanic figures from different eras might be a fruitless and silly exercise to some, but this type of debate is also the one thing sports is supposed to be.
    — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • Doe continued to see Drotts after the probation department released him from the juvenile facility on April 3, 2026, Burris said.
    — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 27 July 2026
  • Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said the teenager was being held in juvenile detention for firearms violations and first-degree assault.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2026
Definition of juvenile
Adjective
  • As Texas’ public-school enrollment experiences its first non-pandemic enrollment decline in decades, Tarrant County’s pre-K enrollment is also losing its youngest students.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026
  • Additionally, thin or fragile skin can tear or simply not hold designs as well as younger, more elastic skin.
    — Rachel Brown Kirkland, AJC.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of young

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pudgy
puerile
puerility
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Cite this Entry

“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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