1
as in childish
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children
told the teenagers that such puerile behavior would not be tolerated during the ceremony
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immature
lacking in adult experience or maturity
allowed the company to be taken over by a bunch of puerile whippersnappers fresh out of business school
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the kind of puerile jokes that teenage moviegoers apparently love
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puerile
Trump is, always and forever, a puerile bully, stuck perpetually on the fifth-grade playground.
—
Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024
The inexplicable twists are interspersed with puerile action scenes.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024
Hoping to usurp him from the throne, Kuzco's advisor, Yzma (Eartha Kitt), cooks up a plot to poison the puerile figurehead.
—Devin Nealy, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023
As legal weed proliferates across the country, many storefronts have adopted a sterile, corporate aesthetic, while others lean into puerile graphics of, say, red-eyed Rick and Morty smoking blunts.
—Ezra Marcus, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for puerile 
Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024
The inexplicable twists are interspersed with puerile action scenes.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024
Hoping to usurp him from the throne, Kuzco's advisor, Yzma (Eartha Kitt), cooks up a plot to poison the puerile figurehead.
—Devin Nealy, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023
As legal weed proliferates across the country, many storefronts have adopted a sterile, corporate aesthetic, while others lean into puerile graphics of, say, red-eyed Rick and Morty smoking blunts.
—Ezra Marcus, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for puerile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puerile
Adjective
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Objects are often askew and out of frame, and everyday sounds like a toilet flush or blinds being pulled assume a low, staticky growl, as though frights fueled by childish imagination.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
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Speaking of childish fun, coloring is one thing, but sometimes parents have to set screen time rules and stick by them.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA TODAY,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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People with leukemia often have a high number of immature white blood cells called myeloblast, which are not usually present in the blood.—
Doru Paul,
Health,
10 Jan. 2025
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These immature cells can develop into different types of blood cells, including white blood cells (WBCs), central to immune function.8 Getting sufficient and consistent sleep can help make your body more resistant to disease and infection.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Starring Keanu Reeves, a pre-Iron Man Robert Downey Jr., and an always-game Woody Harrelson, A Scanner Darkly is a fun film that manages to be at turns tense, goofy, and prophetic.—
Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante,
EW.com,
27 Jan. 2025
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Some of those pardoned included goofy characters, such as Chansley, who seemingly did not arrive at the Capitol intending to overthrow the government but got swept up in the moment.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The travails of these people, including a suspenseful interrogation sequence sending Eunice and her adolescent daughter, their heads wrapped in black sackcloth, to the very place Rubens was seen recently.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
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Eugene Arnold, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with Ohio State University, says the evidence for some dyes is stronger than others.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This Sabrina is silly and effusive and a tad bit privileged.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
28 Jan. 2025
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Discussing Oscar voters in the context of the American electorate has always struck me as a little silly.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Troubled juvenile hall gets another lifeline after judge punts decision on closure.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2025
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Listen to this article A state prison, a juvenile detention facility, three county jails and a federal detention center sit just outside the Border 2 fire’s evacuation zone.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Emily, a young American from Chicago living and working in Paris, serves serious wardrobe eye candy.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2025
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Yes, fans of the comics shouldn't necessarily be surprised by this, but parents who may be thinking of watching this show with younger viewers should beware.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Multifactor authentication and other validation checks will become increasingly futile.—
Michael DeCesare,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
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That drive went 74 yards in seven plays and was the answer the Buccaneers desperately needed after a mostly futile first half on offense.—
NBC News,
NBC News,
13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near puerile
Cite this Entry
“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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