whippersnapper

noun

whip·​per·​snap·​per ˈ(h)wi-pər-ˌsna-pər How to pronounce whippersnapper (audio)
Synonyms of whippersnappernext
: a diminutive, insignificant, or presumptuous person

Synonyms of whippersnapper

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Examples of whippersnapper in a Sentence

some young whippersnapper piped up with a pointless comment
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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.
The new telescope does, though, have a whippersnapper nipping at its heels. — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 28 May 2025 And the Sharks have no obvious replacement for him — no young whippersnapper in the pipeline ready for his moment. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025 Mills gives off the disarming sense of a secure soul undeterred by whippersnappers who toss around fancy words such as gerontocracy. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026 The tree was probably a young whippersnapper when the city was founded in 1836, McBain figures. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for whippersnapper

Word History

Etymology

alteration of snippersnapper

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whippersnapper was in 1700

Rhymes for whippersnapper

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Browse Nearby Words

whipper-in
whippersnapper
whippertail
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Cite this Entry

“Whippersnapper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whippersnapper. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

whippersnapper

noun
whip·​per·​snap·​per ˈhwip-ər-ˌsnap-ər How to pronounce whippersnapper (audio)
ˈwip-
: a small, unimportant, or overly confident person
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