ADOLESCENT Synonyms: 137 Similar and Opposite Words

adolescent 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of adolescent

as in young

being in the early stage of life, growth, or development an adolescent sheepdog, who hasn't quite gotten the hang of keeping the sheep huddled together

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in childish

having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children would hope that the college students had outgrown such adolescent behavior

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in immature

lacking in adult experience or maturity took a group of adolescent recruits and turned them into professional warriors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

adolescent

2 of 2

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 adolescent

Adjective

This placed adolescent Danny right in the center of 1950s Hollywood. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026 Plans include growing its psychiatry residency, expanding adolescent psychiatry fellowships, and launching an addiction medicine fellowship to prepare future specialists. — Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026

Noun

But for children and adolescents whose bodies and skeletons are still growing, specialized pediatric orthopedic care is critical. — Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 22 June 2026 Despite being a high achiever, Veena Dinavahi struggled with anxiety and depression as an adolescent. — Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for adolescent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for adolescent

Adjective

That young Israelis are drifting right is in many ways a reflection of how Israeli society differs from other wealthy democracies.

— Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
But after Vucic conceded defeat Sunday evening, ecstatic young revelers filled the streets of Belgrade and ripped down the cordons around the encampment known as Caciland.

— JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of young

Adjective

Forty-nine percent of Americans, and 60% of millennials, sometimes feel judged for enjoying things considered childish.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Memoirs proceeds from there with that simultaneous posture of high-minded openness and a childish giggle.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of childish

Noun

The tale is not just about an individual tragedy but one that exposes inequities involving the mistreatment of juveniles and the corrupting influence of power.

— Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
At least 12 people, including six juveniles, were injured in a shooting near Florida A&M University's Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday night, authorities said.

— Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of juvenile

Adjective

Surely the infantile nature of it seems designed to appeal to one figure and one figure alone, which leads to an ambiguity left open during Rubio’s presentation.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
At 8 months, the child was also diagnosed with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy.

— Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of infantile

Adjective

Right tackle Joe Alt (neck) and left guard Kayode Awosika (fibula) remain out, meaning rookie center Jake Slaughter will continue to anchor a front that has featured several inexperienced players over the last two games.

— Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
These experienced and skilled athletes, who are often 22 or 23 years old, are appealing to coaches, especially when compared with inexperienced and physically less developed freshmen.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of inexperienced

Noun

Kendall teaches children and teenagers to break down anxiety-provoking situations, such as finding friends to sit with in the cafeteria or asking someone for a date, into smaller steps and planning what to do if something goes wrong.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Gilligan was 15 when he was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, which is rare for teenagers but with a higher recovery rate.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of teenager

Noun

The South is cheapest for young kids For families with young children, annual costs are lowest across much of the South.

— Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
When Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stopped in London in 2024, the Prince of Wales wanted a photo with his kids and the world-famous singer.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of kid

Browse Nearby Words

adolescences

adolescent

adolescents

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Adolescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adolescent. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of adolescent

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on adolescent

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes