puerile

[pyoo-er-il, -uh-rahyl, pyoor-il, -ahyl]

adjective

1. of or relating to a child or to childhood.

   Synonyms: juvenile, youthful

2. childishly foolish; immature or trivial.

   a puerile piece of writing.

   Synonyms: silly, juvenile

puerile

/ ˈpjʊəraɪl, pjʊəˈrɪlɪtɪ /

adjective

1. exhibiting silliness; immature; trivial

2. of or characteristic of a child

Other Word Forms

• puerilely adverb
• nonpuerile adjective
• nonpuerilely adverb
• puerility noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of puerile¹

1650–60; < Latin puerīlis boyish, equivalent to puer boy + -īlis -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of puerile¹

C17: from Latin puerīlis childish, from puer a boy

Example Sentences

The reception for the visiting team has been predictably hostile, bordering on puerile.

Read more on BBC

"We say this defamatory, frankly puerile and infantile behaviour by a grown man in respect of these people was, and is, beyond the pale of what is tolerable in society and therefore characterised as criminal."

Read more on BBC

Never mind the insults the puerile president constantly dishes out, the demeaning nicknames he assigns — like “Newscum” — or the president’s heartless approach to governing.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Even though Trump's reasoning was puerile and uninformed, it wasn't a completely outrageous request in his first term that Europe should pick up more of the tab for their national defense.

Read more on Salon

It's the people in the pin-striped suits laughing at his puerile insult "comedy" and loving watching him sticking it to the libs.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• callow 
• infantile