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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puerile
The whole matter is puerile, and Sheriff Gahler should accept he’s met his match in Cassilly.
—
Aegis Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Aegis Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for puerile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puerile
Adjective
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The exchange ended with both men accusing the other of acting childish.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
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Compiled from Candace Bushnell’s column of the same name from The New York Observer, the book is a dark and bizarre look at dating in 1990s New York, where men are pathologically childish, cruel, and self-centered, and women are domineering, striving, and manipulative.—
Alice Bolin
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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There are three immature stages that are black and white, with the fourth stage being red, black and white before becoming adults later in the summer.—
Kaycee Sloan,
The Enquirer,
14 July 2025
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Tomatoes must reach their mature size before harvesting, as immature green tomatoes will never ripen.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Through goofy quips, energetic displays of enthusiasm, and consistent perseverance, Derek continues to push himself and his classmates toward a productive (and silly) semester of learning.—
Caroline Beck,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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Despite his affectionate nature and goofy charm, no one ever came to reclaim him—and no one has shown any interest in him since.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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Whatever the answer, the most enjoyable parts of Friday’s concert offered more than just a chance for attendees to revisit their adolescent years in song by channeling anew feelings of young love, longing and fresh-faced angst.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 July 2025
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And a study published in The Lancet that examined the prevalence of adolescent depression among English youth suggested that increased sedentary behavior in adolescence could affect a person’s mental health into adulthood.—
Henry Abbott,
The Atlantic,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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One of Netflix’s big movie plays for July is the sequel to its very silly but very fun action fantasy film The Old Guard.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 July 2025
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None of that, however, excuses the silly and juvenile behavior of the Assembly’s majority Democrats last week when the chamber took up a resolution commemorating Pride month.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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This also means Krypto the Superdog is decidedly juvenile, owing more in spirit to shows like A Pup Named Scooby-Doo than any Superman cartoon produced in the last 40 years.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
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At least three juvenile suspects are mentioned in the report, including Valle, who was suspected of having a knife.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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The core group of young professionals, both men and women aged 25-35, is joined by the next gen category of those age 18-24, now about a quarter of the business.—
Tim Newcomb,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Los Angeles is getting a young piece that could improve quite a bit over the next two years.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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Go with the flow, but not toward the beach: Trying to swim directly toward the beach when caught in a rip current is futile and exhausting.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
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This group saw military responses as futile, as Iran was assumed to have escalation dominance.—
JAMES JEFFREY,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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