childlike
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See childish.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of childlike
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.
The album’s 11 songs were childlike curios, with Mr. Richman announcing several of the titles at the start, accompanied by a pithy, monotone explanation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 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
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
Feeling is more powerful than fact here, and Travolta leans hard into the dreamy, futuristic visual identity of the jet set age to evoke a childlike sense of awe in the viewer.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
The childlike smile was constantly on her lips while she went about her preparations.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
