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

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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

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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

adolescent

2 of 2

noun

as in juvenile

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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
De Palma’s camera lingered just a bit too longingly on the naked adolescent girls in the showers, although the scene did capture Carrie’s extreme vulnerability in that moment. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 Wig number one is lighter, offering a natural development from Cathy’s adolescent blonde to a very realistic adult hue her hair would have naturally grown into, explains McIntosh. — Katie Gunderman, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
But for children and adolescents whose bodies and skeletons are still growing, specialized pediatric orthopedic care is critical. — Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 22 June 2026 Despite being a high achiever, Veena Dinavahi struggled with anxiety and depression as an adolescent. — Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 20 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
  • Désir, a married father of two young children, is among several people accused of helping advance the conspiracy that culminated in Moïse’s killing.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Room for Disagreement Duke, the editor-in-chief, argues the publication reflects where younger American media consumers are heading.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of young
Adjective
  • Yet my first response was a childish pride that Dad had been deemed important enough to attract Hoover’s attention.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • There has always been a childish aspect to him — in a good way — and his curiosity hasn’t dimmed even as his age has advanced.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of childish
Adjective
  • The immature eccentric initially has no plans to head back to the States, until Christy convinces him to stand tall and fight.
    — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Mestre sees opportunities to finance manufacturing expansion and consolidate Europe's fragmented defense supply chain, and considers the rapidly evolving drone market too immature for Weinberg's traditional buyout strategy.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of immature
Noun
  • The case of the juvenile cited for misdemeanor battery remains subject to review by probation officials and prosecutors.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The violence came one week after a mass shooting near Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, when shots were fired during a fight, wounding 11 people, including six juveniles.
    — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of juvenile
Adjective
  • Surely the infantile nature of it seems designed to appeal to one figure and one figure alone, which leads to an ambiguity left open during Rubio’s presentation.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • At 8 months, the child was also diagnosed with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy.
    — Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of infantile
Adjective
  • Anchored inexperienced defense that allowed 16 goals in 22 games.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Things won’t be at an elite level because this is still a young, inexperienced team.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of inexperienced
Noun
  • According to investigators, Fraser approached the teenager outside a thrift store and began speaking with her.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The 23-year-old musician first broke through as a teenager in 2020, with a string of emo-cloud-rap singles.
    — Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of teenager
Noun
  • Set the scene Set right on Seven Mile Beach, the sprawling Ritz-Carlton property is a playground for global jetsetters, families with older kids, and even celebrated chefs during the hotel’s annual Cayman Cookout.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
  • In it, a young kid traverses New Orleans to fish, goes door to door selling his game, and learns how to drive, among other things.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of kid

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adolescences
adolescent
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Cite this Entry

“Adolescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adolescent. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on adolescent

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about adolescent

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