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

Changes in the adolescent brain make teenagers increasingly attentive to their social worlds, says Wayne State University psychology professor Hannah Schacter. — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026 How peer experiences shape adolescent mental health Strong, positive friendships are associated with lower risks of depression, anxiety, physical health symptoms and academic difficulties, Schacter said. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 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

Video on social media showed distressed shopkeepers begging young men to stop stealing their inventory—and those young men pushing them aside to grab shoes and food from their shelves.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Such laws would require third-party audits of social media algorithms to identify any harmful patterns, such as serving eating-disorder content to young girls more than to other groups.

— Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 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

Adjective

Edamame Edamame, or immature soybeans, is naturally rich in both protein and fiber.

— Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 8 Oct. 2026
The report, published in December 2024, cited multiple factors, including the fast fashion business model and immature textile recycling technologies.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of immature

Noun

The law did not cover every violent crime and depended partly on whether prosecutors could have sought adult prosecution when the offender was a juvenile.

— Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
The driver and two juveniles were still with the vehicle when officers and paramedics arrived, Moses said.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 17 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

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
Hafley also cautioned against placing the sole blame on Willis, who started just the 11th game of his career and is leading a young offense with mostly inexperienced receivers who are still developing chemistry.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 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

Everyone thinks their kids’ slang is ridiculous and their parents’ politics naive.

— Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Mitt reminds me of these famous sports dads — Earl Woods, Richard Williams, Marv Marinovich — who put a golf club or tennis racket or football in their kids’ cribs.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 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 21 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

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes