as in inexperienced
lacking in adult experience or maturity
a story about a callow youth who learns the value of hard work and self-reliance
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Recent Examples of callow
Even with a callow receiving corps that has earned his wrath at times, A-Rod is a problem.
—
Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Sep. 2022
But mostly, this dark-cornered, sinister place, which is being minded by callow young caretaker Rakib (Kevin Ardilova), feels eerily still and expectant, like a spiderweb waiting for the return of its spider.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 29 Sep. 2022
During the first half of the movie, Butler seems at times too callow as the Presley of the Fifties.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2022
The final decade and a half of Lubitsch’s career unfolded under the cloud of the dreaded Production Code, with its prudish horror of sexuality and its callow fear of politics.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for callow
Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Sep. 2022
But mostly, this dark-cornered, sinister place, which is being minded by callow young caretaker Rakib (Kevin Ardilova), feels eerily still and expectant, like a spiderweb waiting for the return of its spider.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 29 Sep. 2022
During the first half of the movie, Butler seems at times too callow as the Presley of the Fifties.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2022
The final decade and a half of Lubitsch’s career unfolded under the cloud of the dreaded Production Code, with its prudish horror of sexuality and its callow fear of politics.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for callow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for callow
Adjective
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He’s been there; Harper was emotional — at times, immature — as a younger player.—
Matt Gelb,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
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From its opening scenes, Severance has presented the procedure the show is named for as a kind of birth, the spawning of a new, immature being.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Hope, an adolescent red wolf from one of the cloned litters produced by Colossal.—
Emily Mullin,
Wired News,
7 Apr. 2025
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After reaming her besties out for having not changed at all since their teen years, Laurie reverts back to her adolescent self.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Related Stories As Dickens goes over each of Jesus’ miracles and other pivotal moments ahead of his gruesome death, young Walter walks into the biblical passages as an unseen figure watching from the sidelines and becoming enraptured by the tall tales.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
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About midway through, his character, searching for a trafficked young woman, poses as a drug dealer looking to score a connection with a local kingpin holding court in the backroom of a biker bar.—
Donald Liebenson,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Callow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/callow. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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