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 Monday night’s childish spectacle saw Jackson marching into the midfield, losing his cool, and throwing a bare-knuckle punch at Chubb. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 And, indeed, Sandler’s stardom came on the back of him dicking around with funny voices, childish characters, and sketches surrounding both. — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2026 In hindsight, my decision was clearly childish – charging ahead without understanding the danger. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Aug. 2026 And also settling a very childish dispute between the airport and the contractors. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for childish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childish
  1. immature
  2. adolescent
  3. juvenile
Adjective
  • The connective tissue between different models remains immature, and real transformation depends on it.
    — Chris Koehler, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Edamame Edamame, or immature soybeans, is naturally rich in both protein and fiber.
    — Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of immature
Adjective
  • Many of us have watched the debate about links between social media use and adolescent mental health run for more than a decade without consensus, thanks in part to the lack of necessary measurement infrastructure to inform policymakers.
    — Ned Cooper, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026
  • This month, the brand has introduced a sixth scent with Havana Tonka—a decadent fragrance with nothing adolescent about it.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of adolescent
Adjective
  • Proceedings opened this week in a case that’s shone a spotlight on Japan’s treatment of juvenile suspects.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • That was the case this past weekend, as footage of bands of juvenile cows dashing through the streets of Kansas City stampeded across the internet.
    — Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 24 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 28 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 grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All