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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the kind of puerile jokes that teenage moviegoers apparently love
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of puerile
The whole matter is puerile, and Sheriff Gahler should accept he’s met his match in Cassilly.
—
Aegis Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2024
The reflexive response to the sight of André Onana standing, yet again, with his head bowed and his shoulders slumped after Manchester United’s gloriously puerile draw with Galatasaray on Wednesday is sympathy.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
Trump is, always and forever, a puerile bully, stuck perpetually on the fifth-grade playground.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024
The inexplicable twists are interspersed with puerile action scenes.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Aegis Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2024
The reflexive response to the sight of André Onana standing, yet again, with his head bowed and his shoulders slumped after Manchester United’s gloriously puerile draw with Galatasaray on Wednesday is sympathy.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
Trump is, always and forever, a puerile bully, stuck perpetually on the fifth-grade playground.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024
The inexplicable twists are interspersed with puerile action scenes.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puerile
Adjective
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This does not imply that college students should be taught childish skills but rather acknowledges the need to foster emotional coping skills and positive relationships throughout the academic careers of students.—
Eric Wood,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Real patriots pay no heed to such undemocratic, childish rhetoric.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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At the very worst, an immature 18-year-old makes a horrific decision on a whim to deface his or her torso with a tableau of repulsive images that could potentially cause medical complications later in life.—
Scott Liftman,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
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The researchers showed how the interplay between a baby's rising sleep pressure and immature circadian rhythms can create seemingly erratic nap behavior that, in reality, follows a mathematically predictable pattern.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Just a lot of good places to take goofy selfies and places for the kids to run around.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
-
At first, Star Wars was a goofy space opera, entertaining and box office gold, but only really taken seriously by nerds.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Globally, obesity in adults has more than doubled since 1990, with adolescent rates quadrupling, the World Health Organization reported.—
Sara Chernikoff,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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Rates of obesity in adults have more than doubled globally since 1990, and adolescent rates have quadrupled, according to the World Health Organization.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
There were no costumes, no silly dances or hit parodies.—
Courtney Devores,
Charlotte Observer,
28 July 2025
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That may sound silly to some, Foster said, but the work done by the Environmental Protection Agency in placing bands on birds and following the migration of bees informs officials about the impact of projects on the environment.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 July 2025
Adjective
-
In fact, juvenile arrests for violent felonies — including many in and around transit — increased in both 2023 and 2024, but these offenses were largely excluded from public crime data.—
Marc Molinaro,
New York Daily News,
25 July 2025
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He is wanted for simple kidnapping, cruelty to a juvenile and false imprisonment, the sheriff’s office says.—
Mark Price
July 24,
Miami Herald,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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The restaurant is frequented by a young late-night crowd that eats under rattan pendant lights.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
29 July 2025
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Zendesk now is looking to hire young professionals and work alongside the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University to develop talent and bring them into the company.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Go with the flow, but not toward the beach: Trying to swim directly toward the beach when caught in a rip current is futile and exhausting.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
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This group saw military responses as futile, as Iran was assumed to have escalation dominance.—
JAMES JEFFREY,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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