Standard Lemma guide

babyish

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbeɪbiɪʃ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B EY1 B IY0 IH0 SH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Like or suitable for a baby or a young child; childish

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • For a young man, he has the most babyish voice I've heard.
  • Clothes like these are too babyish for a child his age.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: puerile, simple, babish, babyish, bairnish, childish, dootsie, hissy, lactifluous, infantile, infantine, immature, kiddish, juvenile, milky

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

characteristic of a baby

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • babyish tears and petulance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bhā- Proto-Germanic *bō-redup. Proto-Germanic *babô Proto-West Germanic *babō Old English *baba Middle English babe Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y Middle English baby English baby Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-isk Old English -isċ Middle English -ish English -ish English babyish From baby + -ish.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: bébête — like a baby
  • Icelandic: smábarnalegur — like a baby
  • Icelandic: barnalegur — like a baby
  • Icelandic: kjánalegur — like a baby
  • Manx: oikanagh — like a baby
  • Spanish: infantil — like a baby
  • Spanish: pueril — like a baby
  • Swedish: barnslig — like a baby