What puerile behaviour! Grow up!
Source: tatoeba (4033420)
Puerile
/ˈpjʊə.ɹaɪl/
Synonyms for "puerile" (49 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (10)
Strong matches (15)
Related words (24)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: juvenile, adolescent, asinine, babiest, babish.
- Sentence evidence is available for puerile, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "puerile".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "puerile"
Keep "puerile" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "puerile" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "puerile", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "puerile" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
3 entriesMore specific
6 entriesimmature conductjuvenile attitudepuerile claimpuerile remarkpuerile rhetoricsilly remark
Collocations
5 entriespuerile argumentpuerile humorpuerile jokepuerile remarkpuerile rhetoric
Inflections
2 entriesmore puerilemost puerile
Derivations
4 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
7 total sentences available.
Is this another one of your puerile jokes?
Source: tatoeba (4383348)
1850, Thomas De Quincey, French and English Manners (originally published in Hogg's Instructor The French have been notorious through generations for their puerile affectation of Roman forms, models, and historic precedents.
Source: wiktionary
From the table he had received the gout; from the alcove a tendency to convulsions; from the grandeeship a pride so vast and puerile that he seldom heard anything that was said to him and talked to the ceiling in a perpetual monologue; from the exile, oceans of boredom, a boredom so persuasive that it was like pain,—he woke up with it and spent the day with it, and it sat by his bed all night watching his sleep.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 7 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "puerile"?
Closest matches include juvenile, adolescent, asinine, babiest, babish.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "puerile"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.