English Explanatory Dictionary

puerile

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Childish; trifling; silly.
  2. Characteristic of, or pertaining to, a boy or boys; compare puellile.

Pronunciation

/ˈpjʊə.ɹaɪl/ /ˈpjʊɹɪl/ /ˈpjʊɹaɪl/ en-us-puerile.ogg en-au-puerile.ogg

Word forms

puerile more puerile most puerile

Etymology

From Latin puerīlis (“childish”), from puer (“child, boy”). By surface analysis, puer + -ile.

Synonyms

juvenile silly trifling babish babyish bairnish childish dootsie hissy lactifluous infantile infantine immature kiddish milky puerile base contemptible floccinaucinihilipilificatious foolish for the birds futile frivolous idle ignorable immaterial inconsequential inconsiderable indifferent insignificant like a fart in a windstorm meager mean minor miserable negligible nothingburger nondescript null paltry petty picayune picayunish piddling piddly pissant pissass piteous pitiful pointless simple slight ticky-tacky tin-pot trivial two-bit unimportant unweighty vain worthless

Related words

puella puellile puer boyish yobbish youthful

Derived words

puerilely puerileness puerilism puerility puerilization
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