what is the difference between "CHILDISH" and "CHILDLIKE"

CHILDISH vs CHILDLIKE - often people who are not native English speakers get confused between " childish " and "childlike"

while talking or speaking. both of the words refers to certain kind of quality and they are not interchangeable either. but it is not that difficult  to understand their correct use. Here we are going differentiate between both the words and what they mean. after understanding the concept readers would not get confused again. so after discussing the words we will be doing small exercise to check our knowledge. After understanding the concept you will be able to answer all the questions correctly. So here we begin-

  

                CHILDISH vs CHILDLIKE

Some women act like children. They pout when they don't get their own way. They use baby talk to cajole favors from the trusting male. They allow themselves to be guided exclusively by instinctand emotion, never by rational common sense.{Some women, not all women.) Such women we may call childish.

 On the other hand, some women possess certain different qualities common to children. They may have the unspoiled beauty, the trustfulness, the innocence, the charm of young children. Such qualities would aptly be characterized as childlike. 

We describe qualities or attitudes or people as childish if we are speaking in derogation—that is, if we are consciously referring to what we consider the less pleasing qualities of childhood :childish temper, childish meanness, childish ignorance, and the like.

However, we call those qualities childlike with which we are in sympathy, qualities we consider pleasant: childlike innocence, childlike frankness, childlike simplicity, and so on.

 

The two words are synonymous: the distinction is one of atmosphere. Is something agreeable?It is childlike. Is it disagreeable? It is childish.

Now, let's move on to the small exercise to check how much you understood.

DO YOU GET THE POINT? 

1. The (childish,childlike) directness of her questions left him nonplussed.

2. She was (childish,childlike) in her trust and belief.

3. Such (childish,childlike) naivete in a grown-up person is most irritating.

4. May's (childish,childlike) charm has always captivated her husband.

5. That's a (childish,childlike) attitude for you to take—why don't you try to act more grown-up?

6. She burst into a (childish,childlike) fit of temper when her husband rebuked her.

7. Your constant petulance is most (childish,childlike).

Check your learning -

1. childlike 3. childish 5. childish 7. childish 2. childlike 4. childlike 6.childish.