Collocations for "child"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "child" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
child
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.n
- [a young, little, small, male, female] child
- a [rude, spoiled, wild, wicked, stubborn] child
- an [unborn, adopted] child
- your inner child
- [was, grew up] an only child
- [was] the middle child
- are [going] to have their [first] child
- is [going, about] to have a child
- had a child with him
- had [three] children together
- [they had, she was] a love child
- adopt a child (from)
- your child [might, may, could, should]
- but he is [only, still] a child!
- a child born to [famous, French, teenage] parents
- is the child of [famous] parents
- is no child of mine!
- stop acting like a child
- when your child [leaves the house, goes to away to college]
- the children were [playing, fighting, crying]
- archaic: she is with child
- archaic: has been with child for [several months]
- (for) [father, mother, parent] and child
- (not) [fit, recommended, suitable] for children
- she's [great, good] [with, around] children
- the children are [playing, fighting, studying]
- take the children to [school, soccer practice, camp]
- a child's [toy, plaything]
- a child's [innocence, curiosity]
- see things [through, with] the eyes of a child
- it's child's play
- a children's [playground, entertainer, book]
- children's [clothes, television]
- goes to child care
- a child care center
- pays child support
- child labor
- [suffered, guilty of] child abuse
- child custody law
- report it to child services
- a child [bride, actor, star]
'child' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
abandoned
- absent
- abuse
- academic
- act
- adventurous
- affect
- alert
- allotment
- amenable
- another
- answer
- anxious
- any
- arrears
- articulate
- assault
- attention
- baby
- back
- badly
- balanced
- balloon
- bare
- bastard
- bathe
- battered
- beat
- beggar
- behave
- belly
- benefit
- bewildered
- birth
- bit
- blond
- blonde
- bloody
- bold
- bond
- bonding
- born
- bossy
- bounce
- bright
- brunette
- buckle
- bullying
- calm
- capacity