Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity; childish, silly, or trivial: Used to describe behavior, ideas, or remarks that are foolishly simple or immature, especially when coming from someone who is expected to be more adult or serious.
   • Of or characteristic of a child: Pertaining to the nature or qualities of childhood, though this sense is less common in modern usage and often carries a negative connotation when applied to adults.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The politician's puerile insults during the debate disappointed many voters.
  • We expected a thoughtful discussion, but his arguments were surprisingly puerile.
  • She dismissed his puerile attempt at humor as unprofessional.

Advanced Usage

• "Puerile behavior": Immature conduct that is unbecoming of an adult.
  • His puerile behavior at the office party embarrassed his colleagues.
• "Puerile argument": A simplistic or trivial point in a debate that lacks depth or seriousness.
  • The online debate quickly devolved into a series of puerile arguments.

Variants and Related Words

• Puerility (noun): The quality or state of being puerile; childishness.
  • The puerility of their prank was evident to everyone.

Synonyms

• Childish: Behaving like a child, often in a way that is silly or annoying.
• Juvenile: Characteristic of or suited to young people; immature.
• Immature: Not fully developed; lacking emotional or intellectual maturity.
• Infantile: Characteristic of or befitting an infant; very childish.
• Jejune: Naive, simplistic, and superficial (often used of ideas or writing).

Antonyms

• Mature: Fully developed; having or showing the mental and emotional qualities of an adult.
• Sophisticated: Having, revealing, or proceeding from a great deal of worldly experience and knowledge of fashion and culture.
• Adult: Fully grown and developed; mature.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "To descend into puerility": To start behaving in a childish or trivial manner.
  • The meeting descended into puerility when they began arguing about who used the last paper clip.

Adjective

1. displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
   • adolescent insecurity
   • jejune responses to our problems
   • their behavior was juvenile
   • puerile jokes
2. of or characteristic of a child
   • puerile breathing