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

Relevance

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
Finalists, who have just been announced, have captured magnificent shots of everything from fish protecting their young to human impact – good and bad. — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 From my perspective, I was sent to ward away from family from a really young age and haven’t seen my mother in years. — Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 12 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
  • From boutique designers to world-class jazz clubs, the capital abounds equally with youthful energy and a flair for art.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Despite Villa reaching their zenith under Emery in May, there was a growing argument to undergo a stable transitional phase, providing youthful impetus and appearing proactive, rather than reactive, in lowering the age of the squad.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of youthful
Noun
  • In front, Palo Alto 30-somethings bob in the waves on their surfboards, cheered on by their WASPy spouses clad in linen tunics, who keep half an eye on their salty-haired offspring hunting for seashells on the beach.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Unusually for insects, the polyphagous shot-hole borer does not require a male to produce offspring.
    — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of offspring
Adjective
  • Even tiny, young stars will eat up to 18 juvenile sea urchins each day.
    — John Ryan, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The man who killed rapper Pop Smoke got caught smuggling fentanyl into juvenile hall.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of juvenile
Noun
  • From water sports to biking to geocaching to shopping, there’s a plethora of activities for everyone in your brood.
    — Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In addition, copper piping allows visitors to breathe in air directly from the bee brood chambers, which is claimed to have natural organic compounds and has a sweet scent of raw honey and beeswax.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of brood
Adjective
  • In the first stage, 3 to 6 months in a mouse [about 20 to 30 years in a human], there is a loss of certain fat and muscle cells, and of two immature cell types in the brain that have the capacity to regenerate different types of brain tissue.
    — Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The science remains too immature to show whether such behavior is inevitable, Hobbhahn says.
    — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of immature
Noun
  • Perhaps the strongest evidence of that local interest, Everett said, was the hundreds of views on a city live stream of the birds, where people were even able watch the birds hatch.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Wellhouse Leisure The kitchen offers a compact single gas burner/sink unit with glass top on the driver's side, with a long countertop extending perpendicularly across the rear hatch.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of hatch
Adjective
  • Once dismissed as overly sweet, hyper-feminine, or adolescent, the best gourmand fragrances have since evolved.
    — Danielle James, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
  • If developmental science justifies treating adolescent offenders differently from adults, then that same science should also inform how Connecticut recognizes, protects, and supports adolescent victims.
    — Keith Wortz, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of adolescent
Noun
  • This renunciation has had little impact on their progeny, who already studied them for years and viewed their content as a portrait of a viable future.
    — Margaux MacColl, Vanity Fair, 11 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of progeny

Phrases Containing young

Browse Nearby Words

yores
young
youngish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Young.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/young. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on young

Nglish: Translation of young for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about young

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All