childlike

adjective

Definition of childlikenext
as in naive
resembling or suggesting a child; like that of a child a childlike honesty He had a childlike innocence that others found endearing.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of childlike Pops seem to burst all around me, childlike and surreal, bubbles breaking. — Margrét Ann Thors, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026 But the film overflows with childlike wonder, a comic-strip dream of girls next door and nerdy weirdoes growing muscles with puberty. — Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Aug. 2026 With her second album ‘Paracosm’ and a global tour alongside sisters Raye and Amma, the 22-year-old has returned to childlike joy—and therefore, herself. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026 Images of shape-shifting witches and cursed doors blur the lines between reality and the twins’ childlike imagination. — Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for childlike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childlike
  1. naive
  2. genuine
  3. simple
  4. true
  5. real
  6. natural
  7. unsophisticated
Adjective
  • Only the most naïve of lawmakers believe there won’t be consequences to taxpayers that will lead to their constituents paying more taxes.
    — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Unauthorized sequels reveal the extremes of why people make movies in the first place, from purely cynical money grabs to pure — even naive — devotion to characters and their world.
    — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of naive
Adjective
  • In the artists who are asking that people leave their phones at home or in their pockets at concerts, in the genuine concern over whether younger generations are going to be able to read like older generations.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • No government has publicly disclosed how many were judged genuine.
    — Charles Edward Gehrke, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of genuine
Adjective
  • Waist circumference is one simple way to estimate visceral fat.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • From a straightforward season-long points race to giving the points leader a cushion on the leaderboard, and now the simple format of awarding the FedEx Cup to the winner of the Tour Championship, the postseason has long needed a boost.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • The true main event will pit top AEW star Mercedes Mone against Willow Nightingale in yet another women’s world title match that will not go on last.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Unlocking the true nature of dark energy and dark matter could help astronomers understand what the universe is made of, how its expansion has changed over time, and if there is more to understanding gravity than meets the eye.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of true
Adjective
  • For localization, Voithru’s Totus offers AI dubbing across 29 languages, and XL8 brings both MediaCAT and EventCAT for video localization and real-time interpretation.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • All 350 potential scenarios are tailor-made, and some are influenced by real events, from both sides of the political divide.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of real
Adjective
  • The instruments can move with greater flexibility than the human hand, while the system filters out natural hand tremors that could affect delicate movements.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • If there isn’t an official audiobook, the PocketBook Q’s natural-sounding Text-to-Speech function will read any text file aloud for you.
    — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of natural
Adjective
  • Sophisticated scams The days of thinking of scammers as unsophisticated, disjointed actors are over in 2026, according to Yoon.
    — Ella Moore July 2, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • Phishing remains one of the most effective means of gaining access to accounts, despite the relatively unsophisticated technical prowess required.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026
Definition of unsophisticated

Browse Nearby Words

childishness
childlike
children
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Cite this Entry

“Childlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childlike. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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