precocious

adjective

pri-ˈkō-shəs How to pronounce precocious (audio)
Definition of precociousnext
as in early
occurring before the usual or expected time a precocious baldness makes him look older than he really is

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 precocious There have been some precious and precocious child sitcom stars over the decades, including ones who played on-screen brothers to their real-life siblings, as Andrew Lawrence did on the ‘90s series Brotherly Love. — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 Coates went from precocious freshman starter to Jacobs’ defensive stalwart last season, recording 122 tackles. — Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 The entities continually lurk into Gemma’s house and into the eyes of her precocious nine-year-old daughter, Maya (Island Austin), trying to intimidate the family of two. — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Along for the ride with Kade is a precocious child played by Flynn Gray. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for precocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precocious
  1. early
  2. premature
  3. unexpected
  4. sudden
  5. untimely
Adjective
  • The extremely small separation between the two graphene systems allowed the screening effect to be much stronger than in earlier experiments.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors say Castro briefly struggled with Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, then fired through a front door into an occupied home, hitting him in the leg, contradicting earlier federal accounts.
    — Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of early
Adjective
  • Going to the Super Lig felt like a big, and probably premature, step down.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The commission, in court documents, maintains ABC’s lawsuit was premature because regulators simply were in the process of reviewing whether ABC has served the public interest in operating its eight television stations.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of premature
Adjective
  • Alongside grapefruit and bergamot, an Earl Grey tea accord adds unexpected warmth.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • An unexpected benefit of this process is that its solid carbon byproduct turned out to be graphite, a material used in batteries and electrodes that the US currently imports.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of unexpected
Adjective
  • And at the end of it all, a euphoric fan base, tipsy with its sudden reversal of fortune, belted out a 1976 Abba song in South Florida.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The model is pulled in ten different directions by different internal product teams, resulting in an interface that suffers from sudden behavioral resets and an inability to smoothly execute complex, multi-turn human requests.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sudden
Adjective
  • The generational curse in question involves the men who fall in love with the Owens women, who are destined to die untimely deaths.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Their deaths, untimely in proximity, have devastated many fans.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of untimely

Browse Nearby Words

precocial
precocious
precociously
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Cite this Entry

“Precocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precocious. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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