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
Myocarditis, in particular, has been most typically seen in adolescent and young adult males within a week of their second mRNA Covid vaccine dose, but the CDC says that most patients respond well to medicine and rest and feel better quickly. — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 Molly, who is divorced from Richard, a businessman, lives with her adolescent son, Tommy. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 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
  • Adding Waller feels like a shot across the bow at the Panthers’ younger tight ends in particular.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Meloni's current fashion choices — and political rhetoric — contrast starkly with those of her younger self.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of young
Adjective
  • In just a few short weeks, his childish, naive world becomes brutally adult.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
  • As Democrats and Republicans point the finger of blame at each other, even resorting to childish name calling, Americans are put in the uncomfortable position of trying to figure out who’s being truthful and who is lying.
    — Mike Patton, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of childish
Adjective
  • In the first stage, 3 to 6 months in a mouse [about 20 to 30 years in a human], there is a loss of certain fat and muscle cells, and of two immature cell types in the brain that have the capacity to regenerate different types of brain tissue.
    — Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The science remains too immature to show whether such behavior is inevitable, Hobbhahn says.
    — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of immature
Noun
  • All three juveniles were taken to juvenile booking for processing.
    — Drew Aunkst, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Another young child was also in the vehicle at the time of the crash, according to police, who said both juveniles are under the age of 10.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 7 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
  • There will be no lifeguards, and county rangers caution that the beach, like many along the Northern California coast, can have rip currents that pose a threat to inexperienced swimmers.
    — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • So Harbaugh created this competition of two inexperienced kickers.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Noun
  • Now there are four campuses with 10,000 to 12,000 annual students ranging from teenagers through retirees, as well as a staff eager to position the college as a true community hub.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Other than Bafode Diakite, teenagers Veljko Milosavljevic and Matai Akinmboni, both 19, are the backup centre-backs, while Julio Soler, 21, is Truffert’s understudy.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of teenager
Noun
  • Writer Brad Bird confirmed there will not be a time jump in the third movie, keeping the Parr kids Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack at their original ages.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Families can also participate in daily arts and crafts sessions, with materials provided on request and staff on hand to help kids create their own souvenirs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 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 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on adolescent

Nglish: Translation of adolescent for Spanish Speakers

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 zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All