adolescent 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of adolescentnext
1
as in young
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in childish
having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children would hope that the college students had outgrown such adolescent behavior

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in immature
lacking in adult experience or maturity took a group of adolescent recruits and turned them into professional warriors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

adolescent

2 of 2

noun

as in juvenile

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adolescent
Adjective
At school or among friends, Sophie passes all the usual adolescent milestones. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 The desire for teens to overhaul their look during high school is a healthy part of adolescent development. — Liz Regalia, Parents, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
Many factors can lead to substance use among adolescents, experts say, including their peers and family environments. — Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 12 June 2026 In a 2025 study of 209 adolescents aged 10 to 17 who had a depressive or anxiety disorder, researchers examined iron deficiency and anxiety through brain scans and interviews. — Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for adolescent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adolescent
  1. young
  2. childish
  3. immature
  4. juvenile
  5. infantile
  6. inexperienced
  7. teenager
  8. kid
Adjective
  • At face value, young men exercising should not be reason to sound the alarms, and yet there is something treacherous about men in their formative years placing physical beauty as the ultimate expression of self-actualization.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
  • From bustling city centres to local classrooms, thousands of young people will have the chance to take part.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of young
Adjective
  • There is a playful feeling to many PATTARAPHAN pieces, but this is not childish work.
    — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • And also settling a very childish dispute between the airport and the contractors.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of childish
Adjective
  • There’s nothing wrong with holding on to childhood and being a little immature from time to time.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The acclaimed writer Rachel Cusk’s controversial new novel Life of M is an intimate, unvarnished character study of an A-list movie star who is depicted as hollow, immature and cynical, an intellectual poseur and an artist wannabe.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of immature
Noun
  • After 25 years, juveniles sentenced to life in prison are entitled to a sentence review, where a judge considers modifying a defendant’s sentence — and weighs evidence of a defendant’s rehabilitation, maturity, remorse and background.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Gonzalez said investigative procedures do not change because a suspect is a juvenile and that detectives complete their investigations and submit cases to the appropriate prosecutor for consideration.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of juvenile
Adjective
  • Ultimately, kneading is a multi-faceted trait, showcasing how domestication retains infantile aspects in adult cats.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Miami’s infantile offense can’t afford to carry this team.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
Definition of infantile
Adjective
  • Anna will also be strong on offense and young, inexperienced defense.
    — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
  • And Fins have a secondary so inexperienced the guys might need asbestos uniforms against the expected torching.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Noun
  • Other areas of concern are the library system's self-check-out kiosks, instances in which minor teenagers handle materials while working or volunteering at a branch, and platforms for loaning electronic materials, Adams said.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
  • From the moment Billie learns about Sophie-Rose, the teenager who inherited her legendary fake ID after it was already passed down to multiple other Gen-Z blondes, she’s obsessed.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of teenager
Noun
  • Davis, his wife and kids painted the picture of a family that had deep, meaningful connections to the heartbeat of this burgeoning southern metropolis in NASCAR country that, like so many cities, places its sports stars on a pedestal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • My kids loved Sakura, which takes a similarly hopscotching approach to Asia, mixing together Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Malaysian on its menu.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of kid

Browse Nearby Words

adolescences
adolescent
adolescents
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Adolescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adolescent. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on adolescent

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about adolescent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gumption

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All