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
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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 tradeoff is a bit childish, sure, but Harry is also so ubiquitous that just about everyone knows one.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Mar. 2025
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But the benefits in making the Watch jauntily colorful, for instance, could be outweighed by a result that looks, well, childish.—
David Phelan,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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He’s been there; Harper was emotional — at times, immature — as a younger player.—
Matt Gelb,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
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From its opening scenes, Severance has presented the procedure the show is named for as a kind of birth, the spawning of a new, immature being.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Oh boy, wacky antics, including vomiting and other goofy altercations!—
Andy Hoglund,
EW.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Monty tends to be very energetic and goofy, while Sam is far more chilled out.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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After reaming her besties out for having not changed at all since their teen years, Laurie reverts back to her adolescent self.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
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Hope, an adolescent red wolf from one of the cloned litters produced by Colossal.—
Emily Mullin,
Wired News,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Moments that may seem silly or insignificant to others — like sharing a particular greeting, teasing each other in a familiar way or even speaking to each other in silly, baby-ish voices — can be great sources of comfort and familiarity for partners.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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The industry has seen its fair share of terrible ideas, from the downright bizarre to the silly.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Adult males, called boars, are emerging from their dens this month, with females and juvenile bears expected to follow in April and early May.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Paulo needed physical therapy to recover from several surgeries to shorten her left leg to the length of her right leg — the difference a consequence of juvenile arthritis.—
Jordan Rau,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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After Anne’s death, a more paternal side of Cromwell appears—augmented, perhaps, by the loss of his own young daughters to sudden illness, a few years earlier.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2025
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Margarita Avila's detention has taken an emotional toll on her family, especially her two youngest sons.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Impeachment of judges, however, is widely seen as a futile endeavor on Capitol Hill.—
Tara Suter,
The Hill,
3 Apr. 2025
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The confrontation ends in an electric if futile horse chase.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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