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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puerile
The reflexive response to the sight of André Onana standing, yet again, with his head bowed and his shoulders slumped after Manchester United’s gloriously puerile draw with Galatasaray on Wednesday is sympathy.
—
Rory Smith, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
Trump is, always and forever, a puerile bully, stuck perpetually on the fifth-grade playground.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024
The inexplicable twists are interspersed with puerile action scenes.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024
Hoping to usurp him from the throne, Kuzco's advisor, Yzma (Eartha Kitt), cooks up a plot to poison the puerile figurehead.
—Devin Nealy, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Rory Smith, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
Trump is, always and forever, a puerile bully, stuck perpetually on the fifth-grade playground.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024
The inexplicable twists are interspersed with puerile action scenes.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024
Hoping to usurp him from the throne, Kuzco's advisor, Yzma (Eartha Kitt), cooks up a plot to poison the puerile figurehead.
—Devin Nealy, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puerile
Adjective
-
The top is tufted, and the slightly pleated skirt gives it just enough charm without treading into childish territory.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
24 May 2025
-
Tuesday, Perez snapped back, accusing the governor of childish behavior.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Concluding the movie as a surprisingly mature teenager is a fascinating transition into a decade-plus of Cruise playing immature grown-ups.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
-
Peripheral blood smear: A sample of your blood is examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells, including immature cells that shouldn’t normally be in the bloodstream.—
Health,
Health,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Pair over Bluetooth, drop a shot into the app, add a collage frame or goofy sticker, and in half a minute, a wide-format print pops out.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
27 May 2025
-
Willy Memnon, who is endearingly played by Coleman Ray Clark as goofy, childlike and incompetent.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
There are so many adults like myself walking around with these adolescent feelings of rejection.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
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And how have the brothers changed since their early years as adolescent stars?—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
If a couple players on the Dodgers can make a silly comment, so can the owner of the Yankees.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
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Tassi writes that social media is full of videos of gamers making AI Darth Vader do and say silly things.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
About a week later, a juvenile suspect was arrested in connection with the stabbing.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2025
-
David Shannon, who was appointed state’s attorney for the Judicial District of Litchfield in March 2022, oversees prosecutions at Superior Court in Torrington, Torrington Superior Court Geographical Area No. 18 and juvenile matters in Torrington.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Binge drinking and alcohol use has been declining among young people.—
Rhitu Chatterjee,
NPR,
29 May 2025
-
South Koreans aged 18-30 face some of the worst relative poverty rates among OECD countries, and the perception among young men is that 18-month compulsory national service puts them at a marked disadvantage to their female peers, who are exempt.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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Cutting spending wasted on a futile pursuit of a global empire is not just a fiscal necessity.—
Ron Paul,
Oc Register,
20 May 2025
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Desperate Steve Kerr frequently toggled his non-Draymond Green big men as late as the second round of the playoffs in a futile effort to contain the giants of the Minnesota Timberwolves around the rim.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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