ADOLESCENT Synonyms: 137 Similar and Opposite Words

adolescent 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of adolescent

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

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

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

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

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

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

Things won’t be at an elite level because this is still a young, inexperienced team.

— Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Under Sorrells, attorneys representing the state often rely on equally inexperienced colleagues or, in some instances, opposing counsel, for training, sources said.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of inexperienced

Noun

Since the ban went live, multiple studies, including by Australian regulator the eSafety Commissioner, have found that most of the country’s teenagers under the cutoff age continue to use social media.

— Reuters, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2026
Lisa became pregnant as a teenager and, as a student still in high school, did not feel ready to care for a child.

— Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of teenager

Noun

Soon after, the military ordered Lenio’s husband to return to the US, paving the way for Lenio and her kids to return as well, before a German court could take up the family’s case.

— Brianna Keilar, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
Difficult at times, balancing family and career and locations and dragging my kids here and there.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of kid

Browse Nearby Words

adolescences

adolescent

adolescents

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Adolescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adolescent. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of adolescent

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on adolescent

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

quondam

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes