as in grown-up
a fully grown person
at the beach, the adults sat under broad umbrellas while the children splashed in the water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in pornographic
dealing in or with explicitly sexual material
an adult magazine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in matured
fully grown or developed
insects that are butterflies in their adult stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adult
Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
During the same period in 2024, 3,333 arrests of juveniles and adults were made.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2025
oregonlive, 24 Jan. 2023
There wasn’t much room for making mistakes in this version of adulting—which is, of course, the only way to become truly adult.
—Claire Cohen, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for adult
Noun
This property is ideal for families because of its year-round indoor pool (there's also an adults-only outdoor pool that’s open seasonally) and on-site sports like tennis, racquetball, bocce ball, and volleyball.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
During the same period in 2024, 3,333 arrests of juveniles and adults were made.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The first whale found this month, a sub-adult male gray whale, was recovered Jan. 11 in Winchester Bay and was slain by killer whales, according to Milstein.
—oregonlive, 24 Jan. 2023
There wasn’t much room for making mistakes in this version of adulting—which is, of course, the only way to become truly adult.
—Claire Cohen, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for adult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adult
Noun
-
Reportedly shot for less than $100,000, this tale of Pooh and Piglet all grown-up and running amok recently opened to box office success in Mexico and is currently playing on cinema screens around America.—
Clark Collis,
EW.com,
16 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
Babies are mature enough to have their own babies in six to 10 weeks.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
-
But even though some boys might not be growing any taller at 16, there could be certain parts of their skeleton that are still not fully mature.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Like its more famous cousin from Willendorf, the depicted woman looks less like a person than like a pornographic composite of breasts, hips, and labia.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
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Jessica Guistolise, Megan Hurley and Molly Kelley talk with CNBC in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 11, 2025, about fake pornographic images and videos depicting their faces made by their mutual friend Ben using AI site DeepSwap.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Seek wisdom from mentors, elders, or even the younger version of yourself who still believed in magic.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
-
When personalities from within the game — sports directors, coaches, journalists, esteemed elders — appear on programming adjacent to the Bundesliga or the national team (Sport1’s Doppelpass, for instance), strong opinions and disagreements are par for the course.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The story is one of impossible love, centering on two young Chinese women, high-school best friends in Shanghai in the nineteen-twenties whose relationship has an intense erotic current continuing into adulthood.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2025
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Set against the backdrop of the Mediterranean at the height of summer, the erotic thriller follows Calvin Wells (Funk), a charismatic conman who sets his sights on Katrine Winters (Meadow Williams), a mysterious billionaire widow.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There's nothing quite like biting into a sweet, perfectly ripe pear.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
-
That’s followed by baklava, ripe apricot, crème brûlée, and Cognac on the palate, with a finish of rum raisin cake.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adult. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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