young 1 of 2

adjective

ˈyəŋ How to pronounce young (audio)
Definition of youngnext
as in youthful
being in the early stage of life, growth, or development a young cat requires more food than an older one a young tree that will eventually reach 50 feet tall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

young

2 of 2

noun

as in offspring

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 young
Adjective
The report notes the Datejust is a common entry watch for young buyers, too, before moving on to Daytonas and other models, which plays into the shift. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2026 When her mother brought home a Boswell Sisters record, a young Ella Fitzgerald spent hours imitating the group’s front woman, Connee Boswell, in an effort to learn to sing. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
Researchers have identified a new species of miniature marsupial frog that carries its young in a pouch on its back — a trait that sets it apart from the vast majority of frog species worldwide. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Apr. 2026 Some dine on other jellyfish — even their own young when food is scarce. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for young
Recent Examples of Synonyms for young
  1. youthful
  2. offspring
  3. juvenile
  4. brood
  5. immature
  6. hatch
  7. adolescent
  8. progeny
Adjective
  • Rather, it was opened with a sense of spirited, youthful energy.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Overnight, try riverside Otani Sanso, a ryokan (traditional inn) whose youthful fifth-generation owner is a major player in local revitalization efforts.
    — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of youthful
Noun
  • His predecessor, Gino, fathered 14 offspring across multiple states over his lifetime, according to Disney.
    — Eve Chen, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • And to have another female voice that isn’t my offspring doing it would’ve been pointless.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
Definition of offspring
Adjective
  • The brothers, longtime sport fishermen who live in Massachusetts, released a juvenile tiger shark in late July after catching it from a beach.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Colt Gray’s jail counselor, Stephen Baker, later confirmed their juvenile inmates are not allowed to have photos of school shooters.
    — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of juvenile
Noun
  • Robert and Avie Lee Parton settled with their large brood near the Smoky Mountains in Sevierville, Tenn.
    — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
  • Married for over 20 years to Luciana Barroso, Matt Damon's brood includes Luciana's daughter from a previous relationship, Alexia (now 27), as well as Isabella (20), Gia (17), and Stella (15).
    — Valentina Dirindin, Vanity Fair, 18 July 2026
Definition of brood
Adjective
  • The science remains too immature to show whether such behavior is inevitable, Hobbhahn says.
    — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • This struck Stevens and her allies as immature, insulting, and more than a little sexist.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of immature
Noun
  • The mill is also seeing an uptick in demand for cross hatches and mid-tier stretch.
    — Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, in this assault, many of the tanks carried only a small canopy over the commander's hatch with a thin steel plate, likely intended to provide standoff protection against munitions dropped by heavy bomber drones.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of hatch
Adjective
  • Myocarditis, in particular, has been most typically seen in adolescent and young adult males within a week of their second mRNA Covid vaccine dose, but the CDC says that most patients respond well to medicine and rest and feel better quickly.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Everything since has come from that - the Dispelling the Myths series from 2001, the training work at Panos Caribbean, and in 2008 EVE for Life, when my own research showed me that adolescent girls and young women were the gap nobody was filling.
    — Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of adolescent
Noun
  • Two rising progeny of big names sharing space on a call sheet would be surreal enough, but the series that small screen impresario Ryan Murphy adapted from the novel by Bret Easton Ellis goes one step further.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026
  • Only in these United States can the progeny of people once portrayed as parasites and invaders side with those making the same argument about the latest batch of newcomers.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of progeny

Phrases Containing young

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yores
young
youngish
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Cite this Entry

“Young.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/young. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on young

Nglish: Translation of young for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about young

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