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childish

[ chahyl-dish ]
/ ˈtʃaɪl dɪʃ /
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See synonyms for: childish / childishness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
of, like, or befitting a child: childish games.
puerile; weak; silly: childish fears.
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Origin of childish

before 1000; Middle English childisch,Old English cildisc.See child, -ish1

synonym study for childish

2. 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 WORDS FROM childish

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH childish

childish , childlike (see synonym study at the current entry)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use childish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for childish

childish
/ (ˈtʃaɪldɪʃ) /

adjective
in the manner of, belonging to, or suitable to a child
foolish or petty; puerilechildish fears

Derived forms of childish

childishly, adverbchildishness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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