infantility
Definition
- Noun:
- The state or quality of being infantile: "infantility" refers to the condition of being childishly immature or displaying behaviour typical of an infant, such as excessive dependence, naivety, or lack of maturity.
Usage Examples
- (His behaviour shows childish immaturity.)
- (The proposal was immature and naïve.)
- (She became more mature over time.)
Advanced Usage
"to exhibit infantility": to show childish behaviour.
- The manager criticized the employee for exhibiting infantility during the meeting. (The employee acted immaturely.)
"infantility of thought": a lack of sophistication or depth in reasoning.
- The infantility of his argument made it easy to refute. (His argument was simplistic and childish.)
Variants and Related Words
Infantile (adj): characteristic of or resembling an infant; extremely immature.
- His infantile jokes annoyed the adults. (His jokes were childish and inappropriate.)
Infant (n): a very young child or baby.
- The infant slept peacefully in the crib. (A very young child.)
Infancy (n): the early stage of development or existence.
- The project is still in its infancy. (It is at an early stage.)
Synonyms
- Immaturity: the state of not being fully developed or grown, especially in behaviour.
- Childishness: behaviour that is typical of a child, often implying disapproval.
- Naivety: lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.
Phrasal Verbs
- None directly associated with "infantility," as it is a noun. Related verbs include "to act infantile" or "to behave childishly."
Related Idioms
"Cry like a baby": to complain or express distress in an overly emotional, childish manner.
- He cried like a baby when he didn't get his way, showing his infantility. (He reacted immaturely.)
"Throw a tantrum": to have a sudden outburst of anger or frustration, like a child.
- Throwing a tantrum over a minor issue is a clear sign of infantility. (Such behaviour is immature.)