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
He's gone on numerous rants about the 26-year-old, most recently calling him childish for his actions in Dallas' preseason finale.
—
Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
That’s the mark of a public servant who brings intellectual depth to his role, not someone deserving of childish attacks.
—Aegis Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
What originally looked like a one-off childish stunt—one that angered players and delighted some media members—has quickly grown into something much bigger.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 8 Aug. 2025
There resides brooding 16-year-old Billy 5000 (Jack Corbett), who has left his childish interests behind to become preoccupied with making money delivering food via an app called Grubster (the reference to a real-life service couldn’t be more intentional).
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childish
Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
That’s the mark of a public servant who brings intellectual depth to his role, not someone deserving of childish attacks.
—Aegis Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
What originally looked like a one-off childish stunt—one that angered players and delighted some media members—has quickly grown into something much bigger.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 8 Aug. 2025
There resides brooding 16-year-old Billy 5000 (Jack Corbett), who has left his childish interests behind to become preoccupied with making money delivering food via an app called Grubster (the reference to a real-life service couldn’t be more intentional).
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childish
Adjective
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And enforcing size limits on catches could prevent the overharvesting of immature sharks and help maintain population resilience.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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In the comments, some people point out that the situation feels immature.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The film tracks Chou’s navigation of adolescent relationships, including romantic disappointment and academic pressure, as external political events amplify personal upheavals.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
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Her mother decided that her daughter’s lesbianism was only an adolescent phase.—
Nicole Flattery,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As the consequences of permanent records became clear—blocking access to jobs, housing, and education—states began experimenting with mechanisms to seal or expunge certain convictions, usually for first-time or juvenile offenders.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Unlike natural thinning, large fire-resilient trees are typically high-graded for felling in Jackson, creating tinderboxes of 300 to 500 mostly juvenile trees per acre.—
John P. O’Brien,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Childish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childish. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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