as in childish
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children
the infantile humor that teenage boys are justly famous for
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Recent Examples of infantile
This suggests that the immune system may be involved in infantile amnesia.
—
Veronique Greenwood, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
The incredibly painful, totally infantile, Banana Republic government shutdown ends.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
The infantile form of Tay-Sachs manifests between three and six months of age, undermining gross motor control, worsening into seizures, deafness, and paralysis, and death by age five.
—New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025
Muscle Man is a deeply ironic book, creating a vast chasm between Harold’s strongman self-image and his infantile powers of self-expression.
—Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infantile
Veronique Greenwood, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
The incredibly painful, totally infantile, Banana Republic government shutdown ends.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
The infantile form of Tay-Sachs manifests between three and six months of age, undermining gross motor control, worsening into seizures, deafness, and paralysis, and death by age five.
—New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025
Muscle Man is a deeply ironic book, creating a vast chasm between Harold’s strongman self-image and his infantile powers of self-expression.
—Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infantile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infantile
Adjective
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The whole tweet story now feels almost like a childish tale.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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The feeling was less substantial, more childish, like expecting someone to walk in and scold you for doing something wrong and not knowing where to hide.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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There’s so much regulation coming our way aimed at removing any sort of greenwashing, but even if that is successful, the customer is still immature.—
Elektra Kotsoni,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
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On top of that, the immature grubs chew through grass roots and create dead patches in your lawn.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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The film follows Dudley, an adolescent frog desperate to break free from the iron grip of his father Arthur, the mayor of frog town.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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But the idea at the heart of Curry Barker’s new horror film, Obsession, has an endearingly adolescent, back-to-basics simplicity.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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The juvenile bear’s wander across campus late Thursday and early Friday prompted an advisory to students and a search by UC Davis police and wardens from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as well as Yolo County Animal Control.—
Allison Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
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Over the last 20 years, scientists have documented an increasing number of juvenile great white sharks cruising waters off Southern California beaches.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infantile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infantile. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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