1
as in nonsense
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2
as in inexperience
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of childishness
The childishness of his expressions infantilized a genuinely vicious regime, painting it as more peevish than petrifying.
—
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
The actor relishes all aspects of Dahl’s childishness, and the humanity within the beast emerges in small moments.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
Cove, on West Houston Street, does not mark an especially obvious step into maturity or anything narratively pat like that, because McGarry’s cooking and his businesses have never really had so much as a hint of childishness to begin with.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
The gesture’s lack of dignity, its childishness, its pettiness, are completely in character.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Sep. 2025
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
The actor relishes all aspects of Dahl’s childishness, and the humanity within the beast emerges in small moments.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
Cove, on West Houston Street, does not mark an especially obvious step into maturity or anything narratively pat like that, because McGarry’s cooking and his businesses have never really had so much as a hint of childishness to begin with.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
The gesture’s lack of dignity, its childishness, its pettiness, are completely in character.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childishness
Noun
-
The mother had died of tuberculosis the previous year and there were no siblings, which was a tremendous benefit in my mother’s eyes—no one to fill her ears with nonsense.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
After the usual avalanche of draft-week nonsense, and enough misinformation to fog up half the league, the noise gives way to the decisions.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Nearly every player and coach has identified the rookie as one of the biggest surprises so far with how quickly she’s adjusted to her role as the team’s floor general despite her inexperience.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
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Crusoe’s inexperience is a relatively minor risk compared to the much larger one Oracle is taking on OpenAI, which is by far the biggest customer represented in Oracle’s remaining performance obligations (RPOs), which represent how much money Oracle is slated to earn from its existing contracts.—
Elizabeth Lopatto,
The Verge,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Floyd’s sincerity, the startling extremity of his concern for the comfort of others, snaps Clark out of his depressed, and depressing, complacency.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
But as the left grows increasingly distrustful of big tech companies, progressives aren’t convinced of the moguls’ sincerity.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The show, with its interest in corporate buffoonery, doesn’t quite manage to hand-wave away the queasy implications.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Receivers have cratered seasons with me-over-we buffoonery.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Just as the story mines humor from the collision of old-fashioned ways with a modern frankness, Paul’s score combines the appeal of jaunty golden-age sounds with a freshness that feels present day.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Her love for the city is palpable, imbued with her frankness, her fun, her queerness, and her history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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No matter what happened, Dunham could not seem to help posting through it, her public persona one of infinite jesting confession.—
Madeline Leung Coleman,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Any amount of singing or jesting will be heard by all.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Mary Gaitskill is particularly good at this ideal combination of straightforwardness and pithiness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Her question, in Lipe-Smith’s inquisitive piccolo of a voice, is heartbreaking in its blend of straightforwardness and desperate desire, as is her mother’s wavering response.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Childishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childishness. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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