puerile — childishly silly and trivial; immature
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: childishly silly and trivial; immature
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpjʊrəl/
Example Sentences
- The CEO's puerile tantrum during the board meeting shocked the investors.
- Critics dismissed the movie as puerile entertainment with no artistic merit.
- His puerile prank of putting salt in the sugar bowl backfired when his grandmother tasted it.
puerile
ADJECTIVE[/ˈpjʊrəl/]
childishly silly and trivial; immature
a grown man in a business suit giggles while making paper airplanes during a serious meeting. He throws the paper planes across the conference table as his boss tries to present important charts. The paper airplanes knock over coffee cups and distract everyone from the presentation. His colleagues shake their heads in disapproval while the boss stops speaking and stares in frustration. Some coworkers cover their faces with their hands in embarrassment. childishly silly and trivial behavior that is completely immature for the situation
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'puerilis' meaning 'of a boy or child,' derived from 'puer' (boy). The word evolved to describe behavior that is childishly immature or silly.
Breakdown
puer- (boy/child) + -ile (adjective suffix meaning 'relating to' or 'having the quality of')
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The CEO's puerile tantrum during the board meeting shocked the investors.”
“Critics dismissed the movie as puerile entertainment with no artistic merit.”
“His puerile prank of putting salt in the sugar bowl backfired when his grandmother tasted it.”
“The politician's puerile name-calling reduced the debate to a kindergarten-level argument.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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