puerile

adjective

pu·er·ile ˈpyu̇(-ə)r-əl How to pronounce puerile (audio)

-ˌī(-ə)l

: juvenile

: childish, silly

puerile remarks

puerilely

ˈpyu̇(-ə)r-ə(l)-lē How to pronounce puerile (audio)

-ˌī(-ə)l-lē

adverb

puerility

ˌpyu̇(-ə)r-ˈi-lə-tē How to pronounce puerile (audio)

noun

Did you know?

Puerile may call to mind qualities of youth and immaturity, but the term itself is no spring chicken. On the contrary, it's been around for more than three centuries, and its predecessors in French and Latin, the adjectives puéril and puerilis, respectively, are far older. Those two terms have the same basic meaning as the English word puerile, and they both trace to the Latin noun puer, meaning "boy" or "child." Nowadays, puerile can describe the acts or utterances of an actual child, but it more often refers (usually with marked disapproval) to occurrences of childishness where adult maturity would be expected or preferred.

Example Sentences

told the teenagers that such puerile behavior would not be tolerated during the ceremony allowed the company to be taken over by a bunch of puerile whippersnappers fresh out of business school

Recent Examples on the Web Hemingway, demonstrating yet again the quality of his friendship, denounced the essays as an act of puerile exhibitionism.

Christopher Buckley, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 The decades-spanning but threadbare narrative begins, with what turns out to be a certain puerile appropriateness, in the year 2069, as the elderly King Alfredo of Portugal (Joel Branco) withers away on an austere deathbed in his cavernous palace.

Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 June 2022 These actors may dispense miracle cures on television, but beneath the gleaming smiles and spotless white coats is a raging fire of high school politics, power trips and puerile shenanigans.

Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Mar. 2022 But there’s something puerile about seeing all these male nubbins.

Raven Smith, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2022 Bergman Island treats Ingmar Bergman’s oeuvre with a level of pretense not seen since Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy did their puerile versions of Eric Rohmer in their Sunset/Sunrise trilogy of heterosexual squabbling.

Armond White, National Review, 13 Oct. 2021 Such exercises are pseudoacademic, puerile and transparently manipulative.

WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021 To make matters worse, the lyrics are astonishingly puerile.

Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Oct. 2021 Tanya feels like a fuller version of other characters that Coolidge has played — washed-up and spaced out, simultaneously puerile and battered — but with backstory enough to justify her sadness.

Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 July 2021 See More

单词	puerility
释义	puerile adjective pu·er·ile ˈpyu̇(-ə)r-əl -ˌī(-ə)l 1 : juvenile 2 : childish, silly puerile remarks puerilely ˈpyu̇(-ə)r-ə(l)-lē -ˌī(-ə)l-lē adverb puerility ˌpyu̇(-ə)r-ˈi-lə-tē noun Did you know? Puerile may call to mind qualities of youth and immaturity, but the term itself is no spring chicken. On the contrary, it's been around for more than three centuries, and its predecessors in French and Latin, the adjectives puéril and puerilis, respectively, are far older. Those two terms have the same basic meaning as the English word puerile, and they both trace to the Latin noun puer, meaning "boy" or "child." Nowadays, puerile can describe the acts or utterances of an actual child, but it more often refers (usually with marked disapproval) to occurrences of childishness where adult maturity would be expected or preferred. Synonyms adolescent babyish childish immature infantile jejune juvenile kiddish See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences told the teenagers that such puerile behavior would not be tolerated during the ceremony allowed the company to be taken over by a bunch of puerile whippersnappers fresh out of business school Recent Examples on the Web Hemingway, demonstrating yet again the quality of his friendship, denounced the essays as an act of puerile exhibitionism. Christopher Buckley, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 The decades-spanning but threadbare narrative begins, with what turns out to be a certain puerile appropriateness, in the year 2069, as the elderly King Alfredo of Portugal (Joel Branco) withers away on an austere deathbed in his cavernous palace. Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 June 2022 These actors may dispense miracle cures on television, but beneath the gleaming smiles and spotless white coats is a raging fire of high school politics, power trips and puerile shenanigans. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Mar. 2022 But there’s something puerile about seeing all these male nubbins. Raven Smith, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2022 Bergman Island treats Ingmar Bergman’s oeuvre with a level of pretense not seen since Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy did their puerile versions of Eric Rohmer in their Sunset/Sunrise trilogy of heterosexual squabbling. Armond White, National Review, 13 Oct. 2021 Such exercises are pseudoacademic, puerile and transparently manipulative. WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021 To make matters worse, the lyrics are astonishingly puerile. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Oct. 2021 Tanya feels like a fuller version of other characters that Coolidge has played — washed-up and spaced out, simultaneously puerile and battered — but with backstory enough to justify her sadness. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 July 2021 See More Word History Etymology French or Latin; French puéril, from Latin puerilis, from puer boy, child; akin to Sanskrit putra son, child and perhaps to Greek pais boy, child — more at few First Known Use 1527, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Medical Definition puerile adjective pu·er·ile ˈpyu̇(-ə)r-əl, -ˌīl 1 : marked by or suggesting childishness and immaturity 2 : being respiration that is like that of a child in being louder than normal puerile breathing puerility noun as in childishness Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance childishness goofiness mirth mirthfulness hilarity glee cheerfulness lightheartedness joviality frivolousness gleefulness gaiety flippancy facetiousness frivolity merriment gayety levity festivity flightiness silliness lightness high-spiritedness frothiness cheer light-mindedness light-headedness Antonyms & Near Antonyms earnestness seriousness solemnity gravity soberness melancholy moroseness sadness unhappiness solemnness dejection sullenness depression gloominess gloom despondency joylessness downheartedness heartsickness dispiritedness mopes See More
随便看	tidal breeze tidal clock tidal constant tidal current tidal day tidal epoch tidal flat tidal friction tidal interval tidal load tidal marsh tidal river tidal stream tidal theory tidal watch tidal water tidal wave tidal waves tidaler tidalest tidaller tidallest tidallier tidalliest tidally

puerile

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

adjective

noun