What does puerile mean?
Word: Puerile
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Puerile means silly and childish in a way that does not suit someone grown up.
How do you spell puerile?
Syllables: pu - er - ile
Tricky part: Pure is the word in pupils' heads, so they write the r too soon. The u and the e both come before the r.
Watch out for: pureile, pewrile
Memory tip: Silly jokes need fuel: the u and e run in the same order in both words.
Puerile in a sentence
Example 1: We found the comedian's jokes rather puerile for a grown man.
Example 2: Arguing over who got the bigger chair seemed puerile to the senior pupils.
Example 3: My cousin laughs at puerile cartoons, though he is twenty.
Fun Fact
Puer is the Latin word for a boy, so the word is at heart about boyhood. Today it is almost always a criticism.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Choose the letters that complete the word:
puer_l_
a) i, e
b) a, e
c) e, e
d) i, a
Show answer
a) i, e. The ending looks the same as in fragile and agile.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
The older boys groaned at the film's epierul humour.
a) puerile
b) peculiar
c) punctual
d) pristine
Show answer
a) puerile. Peculiar needs a c, pristine an s, and punctual an n.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word puerile as used in the sentence:
Hiding the other captain's notes was a puerile trick from a Class 10 prefect.
a) juvenile
b) foolish
c) mature
d) frivolous
Show answer
c) mature. A prefect ought to act grown up, which is the reverse of childish.
Spell-o-Spell
Read the four words. Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. ridiculus 2. naieve 3. puerile 4. sensless
a) too ready to believe what others say
b) without any meaning or purpose
c) so unreasonable that people laugh
d) better suited to a small child than an adult
Show answer
d) better suited to a small child than an adult. Naive has no e in the middle, ridiculous needs an o before the us, and senseless keeps the e of sense.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A teacher calls a joke puerile. What does she think of it?
a) it is too clever for the class
b) it is beneath someone of that age
c) it is a fresh and original idea
d) it shows fine comic timing
Show answer
b) it is beneath someone of that age
2. What would a fair judge at a debate call puerile?
a) giving examples from history
b) pulling faces at the other team
c) quoting the rules of debating
d) thanking the chair for the time
Show answer
b) pulling faces at the other team
