1
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in immature
lacking in adult experience or maturity
took a group of adolescent recruits and turned them into professional warriors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adolescent
Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
The film weaves together adolescent friendship with the social impact of solar energy development in rural communities.
—Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2026
The brave teen tried to deescalate the situation but Rivas, 45, turned the knife on the boy instead, stabbing the adolescent in the neck, shoulder and cheek, prosecutors said.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adolescent
Adjective
The point is that protection against MenB is separate from the routine adolescent meningitis vaccine.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
The film weaves together adolescent friendship with the social impact of solar energy development in rural communities.
—Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
Unfolding in 1870s Oxford with adventures abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2026
The brave teen tried to deescalate the situation but Rivas, 45, turned the knife on the boy instead, stabbing the adolescent in the neck, shoulder and cheek, prosecutors said.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adolescent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adolescent
Adjective
-
Szeemann’s two Venice Biennales followed a decade of frantic exhibition-making across the globe, by Szeemann himself and by young professionals proud to call themselves independent curators.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The legislation would require social media platforms to estimate the age of users and exclude obscene content to children 16 years old or younger.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
However, this is a childish fantasy.—
Dr. Michael Good,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet this widely available gourd—harvested and eaten while still immature, in fact, for ripe cucumbers are yellow and bitter—is not the entirety of the plant.—
Andrés Muedano,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Preterm and low-birth-weight babies are at higher risk than full-term babies of developing NEC, potentially because of their immature digestive systems, according to the National Institutes of Health.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Three juveniles were taken to hospitals with injuries, but their conditions were not immediately available.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The juvenile’s name and age were not released.—
Mark Price
April 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Among them was a treatment option for infantile hypophosphatasia, a rare form of rickets that makes children’s bones dangerously fragile.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
This suggests that the immune system may be involved in infantile amnesia.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Steve Ponto said his daughter means well, but is inexperienced and especially passionate.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Messi went in as a halftime substitute in the 2-1 victory over Mauritania on March 27, a result against an inexperienced opponent that did not sit well with Scaloni.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Before her political career, Metayer Bowen was a confident, spirited teenager whose smile lit up the room, said Jessica Mund, a fellow classmate at Coral Springs Charter School.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Near the end of 2014, Scorcio moved to Oregon, having struggled with substance abuse as a teenager in Sacramento.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Watch this video for tips on finding age-appropriate books for kids.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The former Fortune 100 company marketing executive rescued a white rabbit that a family with kids no longer wanted.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adolescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adolescent. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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