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
  • For most of his life, however, Boukamp was viewed as socially awkward, immature, and emotionally isolated.
    — Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • Edamame Edamame are young, immature soybeans harvested early.
    — Eleesha Lockett, Verywell Health, 17 July 2026
Definition of immature
Adjective
  • Is there a goofier archetype than the too-intense tennis star?
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 24 July 2026
  • Dylan Mulvaney and Joe Locke get goofy at the world premiere after party for the new film Heartstopper Forever on July 14 in London.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of goofy
Adjective
  • As an adolescent, Machado was a regular visitor at the plant.
    — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • At sixteen, much of the poem went over my head, but I was truly moved by the adolescent anger and confusion of Odysseus’ son, Telemachus.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Definition of adolescent
Adjective
  • Many leave home early for school, and darkness adds difficulty for inexperienced motorists who may already be tired or rushed.
    — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
  • But both Foulkes and the head of a consumer electronics organization say combining AI with other technologies is allaying those concerns by making boating easier and less intimidating for both experienced and inexperienced individuals.
    — Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Adjective
  • This year’s list includes what may be America’s last remaining players with free 2020 eligibility (silly us, thinking that ended last year) — and even a few who began their careers in the 2010s.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Depp engaged the crowd with silly skits for nearly half a hour.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • Richard Sher’s panel of Tonya Bana, Tyrone Keys, Rick Vatz and Sheila Dixon discuss juvenile violence in Baltimore.
    — Bill Wachsberger, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
  • My client was a juvenile charged in adult court who struggled with significant mental health issues and limited comprehension.
    — Schnelle Tonge, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026
Definition of juvenile
Adjective
  • This might help teach younger generations how to hunt, Higuera says.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 23 July 2026
  • Miami-Dade lost roughly 10,000 residents last year — an exodus that experts say skews young.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of young

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puerile
puerility
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Cite this Entry

“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of puerile for Spanish Speakers

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