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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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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3
as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the kind of puerile jokes that teenage moviegoers apparently love
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of puerile
Trump is, always and forever, a puerile bully, stuck perpetually on the fifth-grade playground.
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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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But worrying about making your space look too childish can be tricky.Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2024
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All the Jingle Ladies by Beth Garrod After her parents went viral with an earworm of a Christmas song (and music video featuring her childish antics), Molly has been a true Grinch.Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Angel Batista is already working there, now played by James Martinez, and Masuka (Alex Shimizu) is Dexter’s disturbingly immature supervisor.Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2024
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Edamame, Soybeans, and Soy Products Edamame is an immature soybean in green pods.Merve Ceylan, Health, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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After all, these goofy buddy comedies aren’t really for the critics, right?Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
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But that’s like the goofiest (expletive) move in the history of the UFC.Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Puberty blockers stop the body from making testosterone and estrogen to delay the changes of puberty, giving the adolescent more decision-making time.Maureen Groppe, The Courier-Journal, 3 Dec. 2024
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An adolescent often wonders why the world seems to be conspiring against them.Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Packed with silly hijinks, this 2004 comedy also stars Kristin Chenoweth and Kristin Davis.Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 17 Dec. 2024
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Staff take part in silly skits and showcase rare albums that have not been digitized from the station's giant record collection.Meira Gebel, Axios, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Leyva has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and was booked into a juvenile detention center in Albuquerque after being medically cleared at a regional hospital.Jessie Yeung, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
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Cops said he would be taken later to a juvenile detention facility.Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The movie world premiered at the Rome Film Festival and Manes, along with Pandolfi and the filmmaker, Ferri, have played a crucial role in highlighting the film in mainstream media, talking to younger audiences and raising awareness on school and online bullying at public screenings across Italy.Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
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Whooping cough symptoms in babies Infants aged 12 months or younger are at the greatest risk from whooping cough, which may initially look like a cold.Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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With dwindling options, Iran also withdrew its allied militias, recognizing that fighting for Assad would be futile.Natasha Hall, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2024
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This prospect seems likely because the ACLU is poised to pursue the case if the government drops out, making withdrawal by the new Trump administration potentially futile.Catherine Cole, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near puerile
Cite this Entry
“Puerile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puerile. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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