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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Examples of puerile in a Sentence
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
As legal weed proliferates across the country, many storefronts have adopted a sterile, corporate aesthetic, while others lean into puerile graphics of, say, red-eyed Rick and Morty smoking blunts.
—Ezra Marcus, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for puerile 
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
As legal weed proliferates across the country, many storefronts have adopted a sterile, corporate aesthetic, while others lean into puerile graphics of, say, red-eyed Rick and Morty smoking blunts.
—Ezra Marcus, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for puerile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puerile
Adjective
-
Instead, too many people are willing to write off his childish, mean-spirited antics by saying, well, Trump's just being Trump.ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2024
-
With each day, the boy’s instinctive interest in natural history transcended his childish thirst for adventure.Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Harris 2024 Polls: Harris Leads By 1 Point In Two Latest Surveys Unfortunately, these metrics do not work well for an immature, emerging business.Andrew Binns, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
-
Legumes Speaking of soy, soybeans—like edamame, the immature form of the bean—are also rich in magnesium.Caroline Tien, SELF, 3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
However, the Venom trilogy is profitable and well-liked as goofy fun for comic fans, even if critics don’t like it.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
-
But even better than any of these hilarious quotes was the fact that they were all delivered over that goofy Survivor circus music that the show likes to employ in the background when someone is dishing out some of the most oblivious one-liners in franchise history.Dalton Ross, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Whey protein supplements might raise the risk of acne in adolescent males.Mark Gurarie, Health, 28 Oct. 2024
-
Add in an upsurge in adolescent anxiety and depression, and the degree of difficulty is not for the faint of heart.Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Rather than reveal the tentacles in Episode 1 and see more of what they’re attached to — an octopus, perhaps? — in ensuing episodes, the same silly little flappers pull the same trick every time.Ben Travers, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2024
-
The show, presented by CMI Entertainment, is on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Buckets N Boards: This upbeat comedy and unique percussion show combines inventive instruments, silly songs with a lot of personality and tap dancing, all performed by a world-touring pair of musicians.Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
The properties include schools, child care centers, juvenile detention or correctional facilities, libraries, parks, playfields intended for sports, playgrounds, recreation centers and more.Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press, 19 Oct. 2024
-
The teenager was arrested Wednesday and is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, possession of a handgun by a juvenile and a sentence-enhancing charge for an aggravated juvenile offender, the district attorney’s office said in a news release Friday.Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Once day Onesti witnessed a terrible ghostly tableau; a young woman who had declined the love of a knight was hunted down by the knight and killed daily at a particular spot.Tithi Bhattacharya / Made by History, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024
-
The story surrounding it follows a group of young ninja warriors who protect their world, known as Ninjago, from various evil forces.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Defending himself, Musk said it was meant merely to highlight how futile such an endeavor would be.Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2024
-
Additionally, remaining silent or giving up after futile efforts to enforce accountability can be easy.Simone E. Morris, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near puerile
Cite this Entry
“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share