youngster

American  

[yuhng-ster] / ˈyʌŋ stər /

noun

1. a child.

2. a young person.

   Synonyms:

   girl, boy, stripling, lad, youth

3. a young horse or other animal.

4. (in the British navy) a midshipman of less than four years' standing.

5. (in the U.S. Naval Academy) a midshipman in the second year.

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youngster British  

/ ˈjʌŋstə /

noun

1. a young person; child or youth

2. a young animal, esp a horse

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Etymology

Origin of youngster

First recorded in 1580–90; young + -ster

Explanation

Youngster is a good, generic way to talk about a person who's younger than you are, especially a child. If you babysit a neighborhood kid, you can describe him as a youngster. The noun youngster is a casual word meaning "child," and its synonyms include tyke and small fry. Older people sometimes use it to refer to adults who are younger than they are: "You youngsters can keep playing cards, but I'm going to bed!" Youngster has been around since the 1500's, when it replaced the earlier youngling.

Example Sentences

The Bournemouth youngster is still raw, still searching for consistency with his final ball, but he looked sharper here.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Sheeran delighted young fan Felix, nine, who had taken his own guitar along, by giving him a new amplifier, and the youngster said it had been a dream come true to see the star.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

That youngster had not traveled before getting infected.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

She was reported missing several hours later, prompting a large-scale search for the youngster, who was non-verbal.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

Cassius was simply a likeable, friendly, clean-cut, down-to-earth youngster.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• boy
• child
• girl
• juvenile
• kid
• pupil
• student
• teenager
• youth