childishadjective
uk/ˈtʃaɪl.dɪʃ/us/ˈtʃaɪl.dɪʃ/B2 typical of a child:
childish handwriting
B2 disapproving If an adult is childish, they behave badly in a way that would be expected of a child:
He wasn't enjoying the occasion so he thought he'd spoil it for everyone else - it was very childish of him.
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childlike
More examples
- How very childish of her to refuse to speak to me!
- I've had enough of your childish pranks.
- "Stop this childish nonsense at once!" he shouted furiously.
- Don't be so childish - just give me the keys and stop messing about.
- She said we should be ashamed of our childish behaviour - fighting over who got the last strawberry.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Children & babies
- a mouth to feed idiom
- arrival
- babe
- babe in arms
- baby
- childproof
- children
- crawler
- designer baby
- devil
- oops-a-daisy
- pacifier
- papoose
- perisher
- pest
- tomboy
- tot
- tyke
- urchin
- waif
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Physically and mentally mature & immature
childishly
adverb uk/ˈtʃaɪl.dɪʃ.li/us/ˈtʃaɪl.dɪʃ.li/disapproving
childishness
noun [ U ] uk/ˈtʃaɪl.dɪʃ.nəs/us/ˈtʃaɪl.dɪʃ.nəs/disapproving