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
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Recent Examples of childish
Any version of art for art’s sake has always seemed a little childish to me, a bit of adolescent posturing (the phrase was apparently especially beloved by members of the 19th century Aesthetic Movement, one of the high points of a certain kind of brattiness).
—
Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Very unprofessional and very very childish.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer referred to an earlier video, also featuring Jeffries in a sombrero, as childish and evidence that the White House and the GOP were unserious about the shutdown.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
Because, really, that childish interaction is based in love, right?
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childish
Adjective
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Its audience, once immature teenagers, is now made up of immature middle-aged people — plus a whole lot of new immature teenagers.—
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The bacterial illness, called infant botulism, occurs when babies ingest spores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which can grow in their immature digestive systems and produce toxin.—
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.—
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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+.—
Adjective
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According to her campaign website, her priorities include protecting parks, transit services, aging and disability services and veterans programs, as well as pursuing criminal justice and juvenile correction reform.—
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As of Monday, the juvenile victim was in the hospital and still receiving medical treatment for their injuries.—
Cite this Entry
“Childish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childish. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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