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
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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
as in juvenile
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adolescent
Max Rego, The Hill, 25 Sep. 2025
Either way, social anxiety affects adolescents’ happiness and well-being.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 23 Sep. 2025
Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
The firings, which began Friday, include widespread layoffs of staff that oversee child, adolescent and family mental health services, sources told ABC News.
—Jay O'Brien, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adolescent
Adjective
Additionally, an August 2024 study found a positive association between social media use and mental health conditions among American adolescents.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 25 Sep. 2025
Either way, social anxiety affects adolescents’ happiness and well-being.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
Instead of croquet games or slam books, the four teen girls of The Craft use spells to help get through their adolescent angst.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
The firings, which began Friday, include widespread layoffs of staff that oversee child, adolescent and family mental health services, sources told ABC News.
—Jay O'Brien, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adolescent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adolescent
Adjective
-
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, offers food benefits, breastfeeding services and nutrition education to 65,000 Arkansas women, infants and children younger than five.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Every young solo traveler should heed these nine tips.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
She’s fallen under the sway of a fashionable worldview in which logic is paramount, and the realm of emotion and magic and even dæmons is just childish fancy.—
Lev Grossman,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Back then, some of my actions were definitely a little childish, for sure.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Noah's sister-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn), the Jewish character portrayed most insultingly last year, has thankfully been softened and refined, and has somehow become the lone voice of reason amongst a group of immature idiots.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Stem cells are immature cells that have the ability to turn into insulin-producing beta cells and to produce more cells like themselves.—
Tara Haelle,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Nearly all arrested were adults, with only 34 juveniles arrested by the task force.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 Oct. 2025
-
In March, a 16-year-old who was reported missing from Vista Maria was found more than a month later in the home of a 62-year-old Dearborn Heights man who pleaded guilty to criminal charges that included harboring a juvenile.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But they’re born with severe brain malformations, eye abnormalities and a debilitating form of epilepsy called infantile spasms.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Muscle Man is a deeply ironic book, creating a vast chasm between Harold’s strongman self-image and his infantile powers of self-expression.—
Robert Rubsam,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But let’s face it, the Red Wings have looked a bit inexperienced at times so far, too.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The helmers cycle through a year’s worth of seasons for Zhenya and Anatolij Pilipenko, inexperienced farmers who envisioned a new life for themselves and their two young daughters.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
We were bullied, after all, by the older teenagers who beat us on a regular basis, bloodied our mouths with one punch.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
With two teenagers, Short's grocery bill is about $1,100 a month.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The key to raising emotionally resilient kids is the ability to repair.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Keaton is survived by her two kids, daughter Dexter, 29, and son Duke, 25.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adolescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adolescent. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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