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 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 And with that puerile quarrel between stubborn warlords over the right to own and to rape a girl, Western literature begins. — Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 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
  • Yet my first response was a childish pride that Dad had been deemed important enough to attract Hoover’s attention.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • There has always been a childish aspect to him — in a good way — and his curiosity hasn’t dimmed even as his age has advanced.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of childish
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
  • Some Latinas are nerds, and some Latinas are quirky, and some of them are goofy and some of them are clumsy.
    — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The opening chase scene is gorgeously animated, the kind of sequence that makes Common Side Effects distinct visual style that is at once both goofy and realistic so mesmerizing to watch.
    — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of goofy
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
  • Right tackle Joe Alt (neck) and left guard Kayode Awosika (fibula) remain out, meaning rookie center Jake Slaughter will continue to anchor a front that has featured several inexperienced players over the last two games.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • These experienced and skilled athletes, who are often 22 or 23 years old, are appealing to coaches, especially when compared with inexperienced and physically less developed freshmen.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Adjective
  • The Wu-Tang Clan's mastermind has carved out a second career directing mid-level action flicks, and last year's One Spoon of Chocolate is a solid if silly movie.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Most phone apps look silly this way, especially those still running as standard iPhone apps, which look normal but with lots of black padding on either side.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of silly
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
Adjective
  • That young Israelis are drifting right is in many ways a reflection of how Israeli society differs from other wealthy democracies.
    — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But after Vucic conceded defeat Sunday evening, ecstatic young revelers filled the streets of Belgrade and ripped down the cordons around the encampment known as Caciland.
    — JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of young

Browse Nearby Words

pudgy
puerile
puerility
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Cite this Entry

“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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