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
Vedder’s elliptical tales of adolescent trauma were a perfect fit with music that blended classic-rock tropes (especially McCready’s solos) with punk energy, grunge guitar tones and the groove-heavy vibe of early-Nineties alt-rock. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026 Walters asks, with a show of reluctance, questions about hillbillies, adolescent development, breast surgeries and her husband — though the singer’s answers are always gracious. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
Despite being a high achiever, Veena Dinavahi struggled with anxiety and depression as an adolescent. — Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 20 June 2026 Many factors can lead to substance use among adolescents, experts say, including their peers and family environments. — Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 12 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
  • Die schöne Müllerin was conceived for a male voice and the protagonist is a young man, so Anderson would not have contemplated performing the complete cycle.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • In the meantime, the long-term monitoring approach adopted by the researchers could provide scientists with a powerful new way of investigating other young massive binary systems.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Sep. 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
  • Tests revealed that Matias had neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer that develops from immature nerve cells, per the Cleveland Clinic.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • There’s nothing wrong with holding on to childhood and being a little immature from time to time.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of immature
Noun
  • In this case, the shark — which Gauna believes to be a roughly 9-foot juvenile — lingered within arm’s length of the swimmer, circling him several times.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • McFadden did face questions during the discussion about the potential of once again housing juveniles at Jail North.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of juvenile
Adjective
  • Many have remarked that there is something touchingly infantile in both the watching and the making of a trash movie.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Among them is his baby son, who rests in ‘infantile sublimity, exuding a high gloss induced by early death….
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of infantile
Adjective
  • Edmonton is set to rely on some inexperienced players this season.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The Holbrook sisters are undersocialized and inexperienced with the world, and Herzog sees them as figures out of a fable, dreamers who talk incessantly about love and seem connected to the elemental and the ancient.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Noun
  • There’s this scene in a hotel, where the narrator is a teenager, and is sleeping in the same hotel room with his parents, with the father basically forcing the mother to have sex.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Over 760,000 teenagers in dozens of countries took the Programme for International Student Assessment last year.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of teenager
Noun
  • When the couple is suspected of child abuse, their five kids are taken away by protective services.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2026
  • With unwavering resolve, Salvador rallies an eclectic band of misfit street kids, led by the spirited Belén, to defy fate and protect Carmen.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 Sep. 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 12 Sep. 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 hobnob

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All