sophomoric
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to a sophomore or sophomores.
-
suggestive of or resembling the traditional sophomore; intellectually pretentious, overconfident, conceited, etc., but immature.
sophomoric questions.
- Synonyms:
- juvenile, adolescent, childish
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sophomoric
Explanation
Anything sophomoric is foolish and immature. It was totally sophomoric of your friends to throw our clothes into the swimming pool. It's acceptable to use this adjective to mean "characteristic of or relating to a sophomore," so you could describe your sophomoric extracurriculars in high school, like marching band and chess club. It's far more common, however, for sophomoric to be derogatory, appropriate for describing your younger sister's ridiculous practical jokes or the class clown's antic. This word derives from contrasting Greek roots, sophos, "wise," and mōros, "foolish and dull."
Vocabulary lists containing sophomoric
Inexperienced
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Martin Eden
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soph
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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.
William H. Herndon, Lincoln’s future law partner and biographer, said “it was highly sophomoric in character and abounded in striking and lofty metaphor . . . the thing people expect from a young man.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025
If that sounds sophomoric, it’s only because it is.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2025
The hardscrabble lifestyle has made Ginny wise beyond her years, though she’s not immune to mercurial teen mood swings and the sophomoric drama of high school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2025
The episodes highlight some seriously twisted creativity packed with adult humor, sci-fi-inspired sophomoric shenanigans and homages to popular culture.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 1, 2023
Nevertheless, this is incomplete definition, and it is annoying that the dean of letters in our tongue should be subjected to a sophomoric formula in which the emphasis is wrongly placed.
From Definitions: Essays in Contemporary Criticism by Henry Seidel Canby
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.
