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Showing results for childlike. Search instead for childlier.
Synonyms

childlike

American  
[chahyld-lahyk] / ˈtʃaɪldˌlaɪk /

adjective

  1. like a child, as in innocence, frankness, etc.; befitting a child.

    childlike trust.

    Synonyms:
    innocent, trusting, guileless, simple, ingenuous, young
    Antonyms:
    adult, sophisticated

childlike British  
/ ˈtʃaɪldˌlaɪk /

adjective

  1. like or befitting a child, as in being innocent, trustful, etc Compare childish

"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

Synonym Usage

See childish.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of childlike

First recorded in 1580–90; child + -like

Vocabulary lists containing childlike

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.

See Examples For:

Ahead of the sound bath, Oso Sound Healing Studio founder Avery Whitmore said the unconventional space would invite a childlike energy, a deeper connection to animals and introspection.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 28, 2026

"I think a lot of the times we're told when we're adults that we can't enjoy things with this sense of childlike joy any more," she said.

From BBC Jul. 12, 2026

Our critic said the presentation “sets out to recast Moses as more complicated than the cheerful, childlike images her name conjures and as a legitimizer of self-taught art.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 5, 2026

In her tiny apartment in South Korea, where she lives alone, 78-year-old Bang Chun-ja spends her days with a childlike AI-powered doll she says she prefers to people.

From Barron's Jun. 11, 2026

But who can draw such a distinction when he looks at these quiet men with their childlike faces and apostles’ beards.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

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