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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puerile
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
Hoping to usurp him from the throne, Kuzco's advisor, Yzma (Eartha Kitt), cooks up a plot to poison the puerile figurehead.
—Devin Nealy, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for puerile
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
Hoping to usurp him from the throne, Kuzco's advisor, Yzma (Eartha Kitt), cooks up a plot to poison the puerile figurehead.
—Devin Nealy, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puerile
Adjective
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The childish use of vulgar profanity simply leads peoople to view the speaker as being unable to express his/her view.—
Letters to the editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2025
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One standout was Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen running around the palace like a childish tyrant.—
Bill Desowitz,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The treatment was derived from human embryonic stem cells, which researchers had coaxed into becoming immature brain cells called neuron progenitors.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
17 Apr. 2025
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Despite her experiences, Ellie is still emotionally immature, seeing independence as its own authority.—
Mary McNamara,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Comments Since Sesame Street first began airing in 1969, children have loved it thanks to the goofy, kind, funny, affectionate Muppets—including Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and the rest of the residents of the neighborhood.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
24 Apr. 2025
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Is stuffing your face with raw greens a goofy gimmick — or a legit healthy shortcut to add more produce to your diet?—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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One of my favorites of the important supporting cast is the charismatic Chinese couple who runs two shops in town and provides material support to the twins’ efforts to start their juke joint — Grace (Li Jun Li) and Bow Chow (Yao), who have an adolescent daughter, Lisa (Helena Hu).—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
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Shot at Maine North High School in Des Plaines, Ill., The Breakfast Club saw five disparate archetypical high schoolers come together, form unforgettable bonds and go through adolescent growing pains during one Saturday detention under the watchful eye of a domineering principal.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But silly things like feelings and mental health don't matter to rebellion leader Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård), who wants results at any cost.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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This is one where the visual spectacle and weird fourth-wall-breaking sections stand head and shoulders above everything else, making for an extremely memorable adventure that embraces the silly side of Doctor Who.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For juvenile whales in particular, who spend more time near the surface and often explore coastal shallows, the risk is acute and growing.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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Video footage shared by the Institute shows the nearly one-foot-long juvenile squid floating at a depth of approximately 1968 feet below the waters around the South Sandwich Islands, a volcanic archipelago located between the tip of South America and Antarctica.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Art Across Boundaries Since a young age, Yi Ming has been passionate about the power the visual arts possess to transcend not only philosophical and disciplinary boundaries, but also cultural and national borders.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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However, the team already has young pass-rushers that haven't fully developed like David Ojabo and Tavius Robinson, making Stewart redundant.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Another recommendation: Attacking Trump’s character, however abhorrent critics may find it, is futile.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
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Regardless, returning him would be futile, said the president’s aides, as his ultimate fate would be imprisonment, in the United States or elsewhere.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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