puerility
/pjuə'riliti/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The quality or state of being childish; behavior or characteristics typical of a child: This refers to immaturity, silliness, or a lack of seriousness often associated with children.
- The state or period of being a child; childhood: This refers to the time of life between infancy and adolescence.
Usage and Examples
- Noun (Childish quality):
- His constant puerility during the serious meeting was frustrating.
- The argument was marked by a disappointing puerility from both sides.
- Noun (Childhood state):
- The memoir beautifully captured the innocence of his puerility.
- She spoke fondly of the adventures of her puerility.
Advanced Usage
- Used in formal or literary criticism: The term is often used in academic or critical writing to denote immaturity in thought, style, or behavior.
- The critic dismissed the novel's plot as mere puerility.
- Contrast with maturity: Often used to highlight a contrast between expected adult behavior and observed childishness.
- The leader's puerility in the crisis undermined public confidence.
Variants and Related Words
- Puerile (adj): Childishly silly and trivial.
- He made a puerile joke that no one found funny.
- Puerilism (n): A psychiatric term for childish behavior in an adult.
Synonyms
- Childishness: The state of being like a child, often implying foolishness.
- Immaturity: The state of not being fully developed or grown.
- Juvenility: The state or quality of being young or youthful.
Antonyms
- Maturity: The state of being fully developed in body or mind.
- Sophistication: The quality of being experienced and cultured.
Notes on Meaning
- The word often carries a negative connotation when referring to childish behavior in adults, implying it is inappropriate or foolish.
- When referring to the state of childhood, it is a more neutral, formal term.
Noun
- a property characteristic of a child
- the state of a child between infancy and adolescence