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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adolescent
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
After losing her leg to a rare bone cancer as an adolescent, Walters pursued sports and found a calling in helping other athletes with disabilities do the same.
—Noah Daly
updated May 12, Idaho Statesman, 12 May 2026
Sarah Berg, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
As an adolescent in the Bay area, Celebrini spent a lot of time at the Warriors practice facility with his father, getting close to an NBA team filled with household names.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adolescent
Adjective
Consumed by adolescent concerns, their labor of love was quickly forgotten… Until 20 years later, when someone uploaded it online.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
After losing her leg to a rare bone cancer as an adolescent, Walters pursued sports and found a calling in helping other athletes with disabilities do the same.
—Noah Daly
updated May 12, Idaho Statesman, 12 May 2026
Noun
An adolescent with severe menstrual pain and vomiting may first present to a pediatrician.
—Sarah Berg, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
As an adolescent in the Bay area, Celebrini spent a lot of time at the Warriors practice facility with his father, getting close to an NBA team filled with household names.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adolescent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adolescent
Adjective
-
The 76ers have one of the best young backcourts in the league in Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and the expectations of the Philadelphia fan base are high.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Apart from the Syrian with the fire extinguisher, there were no young or middle-aged men.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
The whole tweet story now feels almost like a childish tale.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
The feeling was less substantial, more childish, like expecting someone to walk in and scold you for doing something wrong and not knowing where to hide.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s so much regulation coming our way aimed at removing any sort of greenwashing, but even if that is successful, the customer is still immature.—
Elektra Kotsoni,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
On top of that, the immature grubs chew through grass roots and create dead patches in your lawn.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Polk County has a curfew in place for juveniles, which is for teens under 17.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
-
About two hours before the shooting at the mosque, San Diego police received a call involving the 17-year-old suspect, about a runaway juvenile, according to Wahl.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
That now seemed an infantile idea.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
Not for infantile name calling.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The key with this inexperienced crew is patience.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
22 May 2026
-
When junior employees ask similar questions, it may be interpreted as being unprepared or inexperienced.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
The teenager died on May 15 and her body was taken from the hospital by specialized teams and taken directly to the cemetery for a secure burial.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
-
Investigators from its major crimes unit believe the fire was deliberately set, police said, and one of the teenagers — a 15-year-old girl — is facing charges of arson causing damage to property and possession of incendiary material.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
The kid from Sin City looked like a winner from the first pull, gaining 777 receiving yards with three TDs as a rookie.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Many other people reject formal education (for other people, though usually not for their own kids) as unnecessary to attaining the highest ranks of wealth and power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adolescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adolescent. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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