as in childish
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children
the infantile humor that teenage boys are justly famous for
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 infantile
When people are being killed and cities and essential civilian infrastructure are being razed, disavowing responsibility is both infantile and amoral.
—
Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 1 Feb. 2023
As people mature, they’re supposed to leave such infantile behavior behind them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2024
Anchorman trades the ratings-battle storyline of similar films for a battle of the sexes, pitting an infantile boys’ club against a new hire navigating their sexism with the seasoned poise of someone who’s done this all before.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
One striking incident involves an impromptu dinner party, in which Mia and Aaryan must prepare to host their parents, friends and acquaintances while balancing Virginia’s increasingly infantile behavior.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for infantile 
Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 1 Feb. 2023
As people mature, they’re supposed to leave such infantile behavior behind them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2024
Anchorman trades the ratings-battle storyline of similar films for a battle of the sexes, pitting an infantile boys’ club against a new hire navigating their sexism with the seasoned poise of someone who’s done this all before.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
One striking incident involves an impromptu dinner party, in which Mia and Aaryan must prepare to host their parents, friends and acquaintances while balancing Virginia’s increasingly infantile behavior.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for infantile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infantile
Adjective
-
And also Gary's behavior back towards Glenn on that was just quite a bit childish.—
Gina Ragusa,
EW.com,
3 Feb. 2025
-
Your brother’s behavior is passive-aggressive and childish.—
Jeanne Phillips,
The Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Edamame Edamame are immature green soybeans high in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin C, and calcium.—
Jamie Johnson,
Verywell Health,
6 Feb. 2025
-
People who are emotionally immature often won’t take responsibility for their own actions when something goes wrong.—
Kathy and Ross Petras, Contributors,
CNBC,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The move swept up many resources on the CDC website, ranging from data on adolescent health and infectious disease to clinical guidelines on reproductive care and HIV.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
6 Feb. 2025
-
Dawn Bounds, PhD, an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, specializes in social media and adolescent mental health.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is a distinctive subtype of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, characterized by fever and arthritis, often accompanied by rash, according to the National Institute of Health.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
Fox News,
7 Feb. 2025
-
He was charged with first-degree grand theft vehicle and taken to a juvenile corrections center.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near infantile
Cite this Entry
“Infantile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infantile. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share