Meaning & use
child-like
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparableapproving
Having the pleasing qualities of a child, such as innocence, curiosity and simple enthusiasm.
Grammar: Can come before a noun or after be: a child-like smile, or her wonder was child-like.
Patterns
- child-like in something
- child-like wonder
He looked at the snow with child-like delight.
Her child-like curiosity made every museum visit memorable.
The artist's paintings have a child-like simplicity that charms visitors.
Common combinations
- child-like wonder
- She watched the fireworks with child-like wonder.
- child-like innocence
- His child-like innocence made everyone want to protect him.
- child-like enthusiasm
- The coach admired the team's child-like enthusiasm.
- child-like smile
- A child-like smile spread across his face when he saw the puppy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- innocent
- Innocent focuses on lack of guilt or experience, while child-like adds the sense of wonder and simple pleasure.
- youthful
- Youthful describes energy or appearance of youth and can apply to adults, but child-like points to a child's way of seeing the world.
- naive
- Naive often suggests a lack of judgment and can be critical, whereas child-like is warmer.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: child-like or childish?
child-like vs childish
Childish is a criticism of adults who act immaturely, while child-like describes charming, innocent qualities.
Practice
Which sentence uses child-like in a positive way?
Choose one answer.
Child-like praises innocence and wonder. The other sentences describe immature behavior, for which childish would be the better word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “child-like”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.