Standard Lemma guide

childish

adj · 3 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.

  • /ˈt͡ʃaɪldɪʃ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪldɪʃ
  • CMU ARPABET: CH AY1 L D IH0 SH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Immature in thought or behaviour.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Your childish temper tantrums are not going to change my decision on this matter.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Suitable for or expected of a child.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • This game is very childish.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

indicating a lack of maturity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • childish tantrums
  • infantile behavior

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: infantile

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English childisch, from Old English ċildisċ. By surface analysis, child + -ish.

Across languages

Translations

125 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Abkhaz: хәыҷҵа́с (xwəčʼcʼás) — behaving immaturely
  • Abkhaz: ахәыҷы́ еиԥш (axwəčʼə́ ejpŝ) — behaving immaturely
  • Aghwan: 𐕘𐔰𐕙𐔴𐕒𐕡𐕎𐕒𐕡𐕎 (ġareunun) — behaving immaturely
  • Arabic: طُفُولِيّ (ṭufūliyy) — behaving immaturely
  • Armenian: երեխայական (erexayakan) — behaving immaturely
  • Armenian: մանկական (mankakan) — behaving immaturely
  • Armenian: տհաս (thas) — behaving immaturely
  • Azerbaijani: uşaqyana — behaving immaturely
  • Belarusian: дзіця́чы (dzicjáčy) — behaving immaturely
  • Belarusian: інфанты́льны (infantýlʹny) — behaving immaturely
  • Bulgarian: детински (detinski) — behaving immaturely
  • Bulgarian: инфантилен (infantilen) — behaving immaturely
  • Cebuano: bataot — behaving immaturely
  • Chinese Mandarin: 幼稚 (yòuzhì) — behaving immaturely
  • Chinese Mandarin: 孩子氣 /孩子气 (háiziqì) — behaving immaturely
  • Czech: dětinský — behaving immaturely
  • Dutch: kinderachtig — behaving immaturely
  • Dutch: infantiel — behaving immaturely
  • Esperanto: infanaĵa — behaving immaturely
  • Estonian: lapsik — behaving immaturely
  • Finnish: lapsellinen — behaving immaturely
  • French: puéril — behaving immaturely
  • French: gamin — behaving immaturely
  • German: kindisch — behaving immaturely
  • Greek: παιδιάστικος (paidiástikos) — behaving immaturely
  • Greek: παιδαριώδης (paidariódis) — behaving immaturely
  • Hebrew: ילדותי (yalduti) — behaving immaturely
  • Hungarian: gyerekes — behaving immaturely
  • Icelandic: barnalegur — behaving immaturely
  • Ido: puerala — behaving immaturely
  • Ido: pueratra — behaving immaturely
  • Indonesian: kekanak-kanakan — behaving immaturely
  • Irish: leanbaí — behaving immaturely
  • Irish: páistiúil — behaving immaturely
  • Italian: infantile — behaving immaturely
  • Italian: bambinesco — behaving immaturely
  • Italian: puerile — behaving immaturely
  • Japanese: 幼稚 (yōchi) — behaving immaturely
  • Japanese: 子供っぽい (kodomoppoi) — behaving immaturely
  • Japanese: 子供じみた (kodomo jimita) — behaving immaturely
  • Khmer: ង៉ែត (ŋaet) — behaving immaturely
  • Latin: puerīlis — behaving immaturely
  • Lithuanian: vaikiškas — behaving immaturely
  • Macedonian: детински (detinski) — behaving immaturely
  • Macedonian: детинест (detinest) — behaving immaturely
  • Malayalam: ബാലിശ (bāliśa) — behaving immaturely
  • Malayalam: ബാലിശമായ (bāliśamāya) — behaving immaturely
  • Manchu: ᠵᡠᠰᡝᡴᡳ (juseki) — behaving immaturely
  • Māori: ngākau pāpaku — behaving immaturely
  • Middle English: childissh — behaving immaturely
  • Norwegian Bokmål: barnslig — behaving immaturely
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: barnsleg — behaving immaturely
  • Old English: ċildisċ — behaving immaturely
  • Old Norse: bernskr — behaving immaturely
  • Old Norse: bernskligr — behaving immaturely
  • Persian: بچهگانه (bečče-gâne) — behaving immaturely
  • Polish: dziecinny — behaving immaturely
  • Polish: infantylny — behaving immaturely
  • Portuguese: infantil — behaving immaturely
  • Portuguese: imaturo — behaving immaturely
  • Romanian: copilăros — behaving immaturely
  • Romanian: imatur — behaving immaturely
  • Romanian: pueril — behaving immaturely
  • Romanian: infantil — behaving immaturely
  • Russian: ребя́ческий (rebjáčeskij) — behaving immaturely
  • Russian: инфанти́льный (infantílʹnyj) — behaving immaturely
  • Russian: де́тский (détskij) — behaving immaturely
  • Slovene: otróčji — behaving immaturely
  • Lower Sorbian: źiśecy — behaving immaturely
  • Spanish: infantil — behaving immaturely
  • Spanish: infantiloide — behaving immaturely
  • Spanish: pueril — behaving immaturely
  • Spanish: aniñado — behaving immaturely
  • Spanish: niñato — behaving immaturely
  • Swedish: barnslig — behaving immaturely
  • Swedish: pueril — behaving immaturely
  • Tagalog: isip-bata — behaving immaturely
  • Tajik: бачагона (bačagona) — behaving immaturely
  • Tajik: кӯдакона (küdakona) — behaving immaturely
  • Tausug: laas sayng — behaving immaturely
  • Turkish: çocuksu — behaving immaturely
  • Turkish: çocuğumsu — behaving immaturely
  • Ukrainian: дитиня́чий (dytynjáčyj) — behaving immaturely
  • Ukrainian: дитя́чий (dytjáčyj) — behaving immaturely
  • Ukrainian: інфанти́льний (infantýlʹnyj) — behaving immaturely
  • Welsh: plentynnaidd — behaving immaturely
  • Arabic: طُفُولِيّ (ṭufūliyy) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Armenian: մանկական (mankakan) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Belarusian: дзіця́чы (dzicjáčy) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Bulgarian: детски (detski) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Bulgarian: бебешки (bebeški) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Dutch: kinderlijk — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Esperanto: infana — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Finnish: lapsi- — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Finnish: lapsenomainen — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • French: enfantin — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • French: puéril — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • German: kindlich — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • German: kindgerecht — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Gothic: 𐌱𐌰𐍂𐌽𐌹𐍃𐌺𐍃 (barnisks) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Greek: παιδικός (paidikós) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Ancient Greek: παιδικός (paidikós) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Hebrew: ילדותי (yalduti) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Hungarian: gyerekes — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Hungarian: gyerek- — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Icelandic: barnslegur — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Ido: puerala — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Irish: páistiúil — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Jamaican Creole: fi pickney — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Japanese: 子供向き (kodomo muki) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Latin: puerīlis — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Lithuanian: vaikiškas — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Luxembourgish: kannereg — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Macedonian: детски (detski) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Middle English: childissh — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Old English: ċildisċ — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Persian: بچهگانه (bečče-gâne) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Polish: dziecięcy — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Portuguese: infantil — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Russian: де́тский (détskij) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Russian: ребя́ческий (rebjáčeskij) — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Spanish: para niños — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Spanish: infantil — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Swedish: barnslig — belonging to or suitable for a child
  • Ukrainian: дитя́чий (dytjáčyj) — belonging to or suitable for a child
Real reading context

childish in complete knowledge articles