childlike en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈt͡ʃaɪldlaɪk/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree English child Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-West Germanic *-līk Old English -līċ Middle English -like English -like English childlike From child + -like.
Meanings
-
Innocent and trustful; credulous; artless.
According to the prevailing Danish rationale, Greenlanders were naïve and childlike, in need of protection and incapable of governing themselves.
2019 August 22, Matthew H. Birkhold, “A Brief History of the Indignities Heaped Upon Greenland”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 16 Jul 2020:
-
Of, like, or suitable for a child.
Even Mario is given childlike mannerisms – running open-armed like a fearless toddler, whooping with delight – to convey playful innocence.
2019 May 8, Jon Bailes, “Save yourself! The video games casting us as helpless children”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 09 Apr 2023:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most childlike | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more childlike | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
adultlike · unchildlike · nonchildlike · grown up
Deriveds
childlikeness · nonchildlike · unchildlike
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
childish · cherubic · puelline · puellile · girllike · boyish · puerile · girly · babylike · girlish
Relateds
Synonyms
Panglossian · untested · childlike · juvey · foppotee · Panglossic · clueless · childly · bairnlike · unpretentious · unworldly · unsophisticated · simple-hearted · dewy-eyed · unaffected · wide-eyed · simple · wet behind the ears · credulous · childish · undesigning · callow · starry-eyed · unworldly · virgin · innocent · fleeceable · childlike · simple-minded · juvenile · jejune · infantile · guileless · verdant · credulous · childly · kiddish · born yesterday · ingenuous · cute · quaint · artless · immature · green
Translations (14)
enm childly (of, like, or suitable for a child) · fi lapsenomainen (innocent and trustful; credulous; artless) · dsb źiśecy (of, like, or suitable for a child) · sh dječji (of, like, or suitable for a child) · hu gyermeki (innocent and trustful; credulous; artless) · de kindlich (innocent and trustful; credulous; artless) · got 𐌱𐌰𐍂𐌽𐌹𐍃𐌺𐍃 (of, like, or suitable for a child) · ang ċildlīċ (innocent and trustful; credulous; artless) · fi lapsenomainen (of, like, or suitable for a child) · de kindlich (of, like, or suitable for a child) · sq fëmijëror (innocent and trustful; credulous; artless) · sh djetinji (innocent and trustful; credulous; artless) · es infantil (of, like, or suitable for a child) · ang ċildlīċ (of, like, or suitable for a child)