adolescent
adolescent
adjectiveDefinition of ADOLESCENT
1
being in the early stage of life, growth, or development <an adolescent sheepdog, who hasn't quite gotten the hang of keeping the sheep huddled together>
Related Words ephebic, minor, preteen, subadult, teenage (or teenaged), underage; embryonic, emergent; callow, green, inexperienced, puerile, raw; babyish, childish, childlike, infantile, infantine, kiddish; undeveloped, unfinished, unfledged, unformed, unripe, unripened; blooming, blossoming, burgeoning, flourishing, flowering
Near Antonyms aged, aging (or ageing), ancient, elderly, geriatric, long-lived, old, older, oldish, senescent, senior; full-blown, full-fledged; golden, mellow, ripe, ripened; middle-aged; anile, decrepit, doddering, over-the-hill, senile, spavined, tottery
2
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children <would hope that the college students had outgrown such adolescent behavior>
Related Words boyish, brattish, bratty, girlie (or girly), girlish; childlike, innocent, naive (or na{iuml}ve), simple, simplistic, unsophisticated
Near Antonyms unchildlike; cosmopolitan, experienced, knowing, smart, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise
3
lacking in adult experience or maturity <took a group of adolescent recruits and turned them into professional warriors>
Synonyms adolescent, green, immature, inexperienced, juvenile, puerile, raw, unfledged, unformed, unripe, unripened
