childish

[ chahyl-dish ]

adjective

1. of, like, or befitting a child:

   childish games.

2. puerile; weak; silly:

   childish fears.

childish

/ ˈtʃaɪldɪʃ /

adjective

1. in the manner of, belonging to, or suitable to a child
2. foolish or petty; puerile

   childish fears

Derived Forms

• ˈchildishly, adverb
• ˈchildishness, noun

Other Words From

• childish·ly adverb
• childish·ness noun
• over·childish adjective
• over·childish·ly adverb
• over·childish·ness noun
• un·childish adjective
• un·childish·ly adverb
• un·childish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of childish¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English childisch, Old English cildisc; child + -ish ¹

Synonym Study

Childish, infantile, childlike refer to characteristics or qualities of childhood. The ending -ish often has unfavorable connotations; childish therefore refers to characteristics that are undesirable and unpleasant: childish selfishness, outbursts of temper. Infantile, originally a general word, now often carries an even stronger idea of disapproval or scorn than does childish: infantile reasoning, behavior. The ending -like has pleasing or neutral connotations; childlike therefore refers to the characteristics that are desirable and admirable: childlike innocence, trust.

Example Sentences

McDonald’s accompanied the release with an expensive marketing campaign that iterated, then reiterated, that this “burger with the grownup taste” was not for childish palates.

From Eater

Tim was goofy and childish, whereas Jill, his wife, was always ready – with a disapproving scowl, a snappy remark and seemingly endless stores of patience – to bring him back in line.

From No Straight News

There’s something about when you’re a parent and your children get sick, they get more childish.

From Time

If anything, the only real surprise was that these childish actions were coming from a sitting member of Congress.

From Time

Resorting to Santa, a childish character in whom adults should not believe, shows how desperate I was.

From Washington Blade

We are not "equal" and you are not an ally if this is the childish base of your notions.

From The Daily Beast

The slimy, childish, petulant Viserys starts off as a symbol of everything about Targaryen rule Westeros has rejected.

From The Daily Beast

Why turn a genuine good-news story into an expression of childish pettiness?

From The Daily Beast

It seems to be attempting satire in the vein of a Grand Theft Auto game, but, like GTA is occasionally, it just seems childish.

From The Daily Beast

The gorgeous sushi chef he meets and falls in love with, Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung), is equally silly and childish.

From The Daily Beast

In this case, I suspect, there was co-operant a strongly marked childish characteristic, the love of producing an effect.

From Project Gutenberg

One of the simplest of these childish tricks is the invention of an excuse for not instantly obeying a command, as "Come here!"

From Project Gutenberg

There is, perhaps, in this childish suffering often something more than the sense of being homeless and outcast.

From Project Gutenberg

Could this be the safe old house in which childish days had passed, in which all around were always friendly and familiar faces?

From Project Gutenberg

Here, as in so many of these childish admirations, we have to do not with a purely æsthetic perception.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• childlike
• foolish
• naive
• youthful