childish
Americanadjective
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of, like, or befitting a child.
childish games.
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puerile; weak; silly.
childish fears.
adjective
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in the manner of, belonging to, or suitable to a child
-
foolish or petty; puerile
childish fears
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of childish
First recorded before 1000; Middle English childisch, Old English cildisc; child + -ish 1
Explanation
If you act immature or bratty, you're being childish. A childish dinner guest might pout because you didn't make dessert. While the adjective childish is sometimes used to simply mean "like a child," it's more common to use childlike in this way. When your teacher comments that your chattering during class is childish behavior, she means that you're acting as juvenile as a four year old child. This negative implication has been attached to childish since the 15th century. The word comes from the Old English cildisc, "proper to a child."
Vocabulary lists containing childish
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Little by little, through her childish chatter retracing her arrival in Denmark and some research done in South Korea, Randel uncovered a different story from the one in her Danish adoption papers.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
“Larry had a youthful, maybe childish exuberance in the way he voiced the character, and I wanted the character to connect with kids,” adds Duffield.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
It’s a childish performance that is trussed up as an important meditation on the Declaration.
From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026
But Miss Piggy was my slumber mate well past the time of putting aside childish things and replacing ancient bedclothes.
From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026
The thought of her brought to his mind the sense of her wise and childish sweetness.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
