inner child

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Trying to put the decision in context, he described everyone's inner child as wanting to be loved, and said: "Cutting off a parent is getting rid of that chance of being loved."

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

Chainey said he tried to portray them as "the inner child locked away in all of us", drawn to mud, mischief and the thrill of breaking rules.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Olson plays these moments of realization with a wide-eyed innocence, allowing DJ’s inner child to temporarily crack the prickly walls she’s built to protect herself from her mother’s constant failure to nurture and support her.

From Salon • May 16, 2025

L.A. will then have its own sort of Willy Wonka, a video game-loving, chocolate-obsessed magnate who never lost his inner child or compulsion for curiosity.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025

I guess there’s a weird part of my inner child that just can’t seem to let go of the idea of a mother who cares.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman