childish

adjective

ˈchī(-ə)l-dish How to pronounce childish (audio)
Definition of childishnext
as in immature
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children you almost spoiled the ceremony for everyone with your childish giggling

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 childish James’s obsessive love, his unwillingness to go on without his beloved, is treated as childish, if not a version of sweaty insanity. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026 In just a few short weeks, his childish, naive world becomes brutally adult. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 Designing a kid-friendly room no longer means settling for decor that looks childish. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 29 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 See All Example Sentences for childish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childish
  1. immature
  2. adolescent
  3. juvenile
Adjective
  • Edamame Edamame, or immature soybeans, is naturally rich in both protein and fiber.
    — Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The report, published in December 2024, cited multiple factors, including the fast fashion business model and immature textile recycling technologies.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of immature
Adjective
  • This placed adolescent Danny right in the center of 1950s Hollywood.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Plans include growing its psychiatry residency, expanding adolescent psychiatry fellowships, and launching an addiction medicine fellowship to prepare future specialists.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of adolescent
Adjective
  • In the most serious cases, they were committed to state juvenile justice facilities.
    — Kristian Hernández, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • He was held at a county juvenile detention center for nearly two weeks.
    — Rosie Cima, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of juvenile

Browse Nearby Words

childhood
childish
childishness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Childish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childish. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All