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
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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
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.
Brooches that refer to various Chanel collections are assembled out of Legos, bits of Star Wars action figures, and other bric-a-brac, gleaming in jewelry cases and elevating these childish materials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
And also settling a very childish dispute between the airport and the contractors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
The vibes are childish, more like those of 11-year-old boys pretending they’re in an action cartoon than adult men who read books and enjoy the company of women.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
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
He knew it was childish, but he didn’t care.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
