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 contrast between puerile bits about pissing and resonant reflections on slow-motion death is an effective one, enhancing the impact of each tactic in turn. — Alison Herman, Variety, 30 June 2026 Mozart, however, isn’t merely a puerile rascal, as his relationship with Lauren Worsham’s Constanze reveals. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026 The film is not opposed to the occasional piece of puerile humor, like introducing the Dallas skyline exclusively with the decidedly phallic Reunion Tower. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 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 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
  • Of course, this is no tragedy — there comes a time to put away childish things, 40-something video-gamers notwithstanding — but the movie comes close to regarding it as such.
    — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2026
  • This one has a charming clover shape to make your space feel animated, but not childish.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026
Definition of childish
Adjective
  • In practice, portions of the automation framework still feel slightly immature.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026
  • These are the immature stages of small brown moths.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026
Definition of immature
Adjective
  • Margaret, what the president said is just goofy word salad.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 June 2026
  • As Buffy’s bafoonish brother, Dave Sheridan played an unlikely killer (though Doofy GIlmore ends up being far less goofy than originally expected).
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026
Definition of goofy
Adjective
  • Additionally, occasional rule-breaking and defiance are considered a normal part of child and adolescent development.
    — Elizabeth Dowdell, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
  • Ultimately, this visible lump is a permanent record of a hormonal change, primarily designed to be heard, reflecting the body's adolescent effort to project a larger presence.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of adolescent
Adjective
  • Over the same period, entry-level head count at the high-intensity firms rose 12%, contradicting predictions and fears that young or inexperienced workers would be most at risk of losing their jobs to AI.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Immer and Lois work with land stewards to find projects that make sense for eager but often inexperienced volunteers.
    — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Adjective
  • Every player with a pulse had six suitors throwing silly money around.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • Some scenes in the movie are light and silly, including those pairing Maddie with a lesbian friend, played by Kate Berlant, who clearly loves her.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 30 June 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • The pipe burst released about 130 million gallons of water, trapped several workers, killed hundreds of juvenile Chinook salmon and damaged the New Colgate Powerhouse.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026
  • One of the e-bike riders, a juvenile boy, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and died shortly thereafter, the release said.
    — Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 3 July 2026
Definition of juvenile
Adjective
  • As adult influencers dominate online fashion culture, and tweens and teens see the same content as adults, there are fewer spaces for young people to develop styles of their own.
    — Sophie Lou Wilson, Vogue, 2 July 2026
  • While veterans jockey for new contracts during free agency, young players are getting their tryout opportunities with NBA summer league games beginning this week.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of young

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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 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of puerile for Spanish Speakers

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