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
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
Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 19 Aug. 2025
This integration of known and unknown creates an enormous sense of internal conflict for an adolescent.
—Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Babies of adolescent mothers also face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and severe neonatal conditions.
—Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adolescent
Adjective
Children: There is insufficient scientific evidence to conclude that hibiscus tea is safe for children and adolescents.
—Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 19 Aug. 2025
This integration of known and unknown creates an enormous sense of internal conflict for an adolescent.
—Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
Ninety of them are contributing specific research on adolescent mental health, substance use, and eating disorders.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Babies of adolescent mothers also face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and severe neonatal conditions.
—Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adolescent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adolescent
Adjective
-
The Kirks have two young children.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Here’s what each royal inherited from Queen Elizabeth So, the King’s decision to meet with his youngest son doesn’t just put him in direct opposition to Prince William, but also one of his closest advisors.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For decades, bartenders have been defaming the Mai Tai, debasing it, making and selling versions of the drink that were childish and incomplex, saccharine and flat.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Although childish and superficial, his renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War doesn’t telegraph a love of peace.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
There was no data on frequency, dose, or method of cannabis consumption, and only immature eggs, which are less ideal for reproduction, were available for lab experiments.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Sep. 2025
-
When immature eggs—known as oocytes, which are eggs that have not yet fully developed to the stage where they can be fertilized—were exposed to THC at levels similar to those detected in patients, researchers observed more frequent chromosome errors.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The juveniles, all residents of Livermore, allegedly stole about $2,000 from a man exiting a casino.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Curfews for juveniles were changed and curfew centers were opened.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Additionally, some dogs, particularly breeds with extreme infantile traits (such as pugs and French bulldogs), may appear as helpless, harmless, and innocent as small children.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
22 May 2025
-
The curious case of infantile amnesia The phenomenon of not remembering anything from early childhood is known as infantile amnesia.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Clearly frustrated, Palencia gave up five runs and recorded zero outs during the ninth inning of that 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals, a last-place team with a largely inexperienced and nondescript lineup.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Having won five straight Ryder Cups and 12 of the last 13, the American team entered as the heavy favorite despite fielding a relatively inexperienced squad.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For teenagers who will see these Emmy clips over the next few weeks on their phones, that may be the part that matters most.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The teenager has seen his profile skyrocket over the last few years, with videos of his lightning-quick performances going viral around the world.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Sign up now and be one of the cool kids.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
One of my kids once presented a bar graph showing that Taco Tuesday produces 40% more dirty dishes than any other night.—
Dr. Sue Varma,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adolescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adolescent. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share