Puerile

Adjective

Definition: Silly, immature, or childish in a way that is amusing or annoying.

Synonyms: Childish, Juvenile, Immature

Antonyms: Mature, Adult, Sophisticated

Examples:

His puerile jokes made everyone roll their eyes.
The puerile behavior of the teenagers annoyed the other passengers.

Mnemonics:

"Puerile" sounds like "purely child," reminding you of its meaning.

Etymology:

Origin:

The word "puerile" originated from the Latin word "puerilis", which means "boyish" or "childish", derived from "puer" meaning "boy" or "child".

Historical Usage:

The word has been in use since the mid-17th century.

Related Idioms:

Idiom:

"Acting puerile"

Explanation:

Describes someone behaving in a childish or immature manner.

Misconceptions:

Misconception:

Confusing "puerile" with "childlike" or "innocent".

Explanation:

While "puerile" implies immaturity or silliness, it doesn't necessarily carry the connotations of innocence or a positive childlike nature. It often implies annoyance or irritation.