young

[ yuhng ]

/ yʌŋ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for young on Thesaurus.com

adjective, young·er

[yuhng-ger], /ˈyʌŋ gər/, young·est

[yuhng-gist]. /ˈyʌŋ gɪst/.

being in the first or early stage of life or growth; youthful; not old: a young woman.

having the appearance, freshness, vigor, or other qualities of youth.

of or relating to youth: in one's young days.

inexperienced or immature.

not far advanced in years in comparison with another or others.

junior, as applied to the younger of two persons having the same name: the young Mr. Smith.

being in an early stage generally, as of existence, progress, operation, development, or maturity; new; early: a young wine; It is a young company, not yet firmly established.

representing or advocating recent or progressive tendencies, policies, or the like.

noun

those who have youth; young persons collectively: the educated young of today; a game for young and old.

young offspring: a mother hen protecting her young.

OTHER WORDS FOR young

1 growing.

See synonyms for young on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR young

1 mature, old.

See antonyms for young on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about young

with young, (of an animal) pregnant.

Origin of young

First recorded before 900; Middle English yong(e), Old English geong; cognate with Dutch jong, German jung, Old Norse ungr,Gothic jungs; akin to Latin juvenis

synonym study for young

1. Young, youthful, juvenile all refer to lack of age. Young is the general word for that which is undeveloped, immature, and in process of growth: a young colt, child; young shoots of wheat. Youthful has connotations suggesting the favorable characteristics of youth, such as vigor, enthusiasm, and hopefulness: youthful sports, energy, outlook. Juvenile may suggest less desirable characteristics, such as childishness, petulance, idleness, selfishness, or heedlessness ( juvenile behavior ), or it may refer simply to the years, up to the later teens, before legal responsibility: juvenile delinquency; juvenile court; juvenile books.

OTHER WORDS FROM young

quasi-young, adjective

Words nearby young

you know something?, you'll, Youlou, you name it, you never can tell, young, young adult, young at heart, youngberry, youngblood, Young, Brigham

Other definitions for young (2 of 2)

Young

[ yuhng ]

/ yʌŋ /

noun

Andrew (Jackson, Jr.), born 1932, U.S. clergyman, Black civil rights leader, politician, and diplomat: mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, 1981–89.

Art(hur Henry), 1866–1944, U.S. cartoonist and author.

Brigham, 1801–77, U.S. leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Charles, 1864–1922, U.S. army colonel: highest-ranking Black officer in World War I.

Denton True "Cy", 1867–1955, U.S. baseball player.

Edward, 1683–1765, English poet.

Ella, 1867–1956, Irish poet and mythologist in the U.S.

Lester Willis "Pres"; "Prez", 1909–59, U.S. jazz tenor saxophonist.

Owen D., 1874–1962, U.S. lawyer, industrialist, government administrator, and financier.

Stark, 1881–1963, U.S. drama critic, novelist, and playwright.

Thomas, 1773–1829, English physician, physicist, mathematician, and Egyptologist.

Whitney M., Jr., 1921–71, U.S. social worker and educator: executive director of the National Urban League 1961–71.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use young in a sentence

Earlier this year, L Catterton invested in Hydrow, a younger rowing startup that recently raised $25 million.
Funding pours into the at-home fitness trend|Lucinda Shen|September 17, 2020|Fortune
They provide flood control and critical habitat for young fish and other marine creatures.
Soggy coastal soils? Here’s why ecologists love them|Alison Pearce Stevens|September 17, 2020|Science News For Students
Venezuela’s own General Assembly declared that Maduro was out and they installed as president the young reformer Juan Guaidó.
Does Anyone Really Know What Socialism Is? (Ep. 408 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|September 17, 2020|Freakonomics
If it’s a young guy who’s got sniffles, who’s you know 10 years old, gets tested, all of a sudden he’s a case and he’s gonna be better tomorrow.
Timeline: The 124 times Trump has downplayed the coronavirus threat|Aaron Blake, JM Rieger|September 17, 2020|Washington Post

By young adulthood, these kids had no clue how to influence or lead others.
‘The Origins of You’ explores how kids develop into their adult selves|Bruce Bower|September 16, 2020|Science News
The first two videos are teasers featuring two favorite cartoon characters for young girls, Dora the Explorer and Tinkerbell.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Many young people are still shedding the ignorance of our parents.
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist|Judnick Mayard|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“The innocence of young people must be preserved at all costs,” said Glees.
Britain May Spy on Preschoolers Searching for Potential Jihadis|Nico Hines|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Professor Penelope Leach told The Daily Beast it was ludicrous to monitor young children in that way.
Britain May Spy on Preschoolers Searching for Potential Jihadis|Nico Hines|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But my sources, my young women and their mother, heroically held firm.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“This is a distressing predicament for these young people,” thought Mr. Pickwick, as he dressed himself next morning.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
I pictured him as slim and young looking, smooth-faced, with golden curly hair, and big brown eyes.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
Five of the number had studied with Liszt before, and the young men are artists already before the public.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
She stood, in her young purity, at one end of the chain of years, and Mrs. Chepstow—did she really stand at the other?
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
Two young lovers were exchanging their hearts' yearnings beneath the children's tent, which they had found unoccupied.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for young (1 of 2)

young

/ (jʌŋ) /

adjective younger (ˈjʌŋɡə) or youngest (ˈjʌŋɡɪst)

having lived, existed, or been made or known for a relatively short timea young man; a young movement; a young country
(as collective noun; preceded by the)the young

youthful or having qualities associated with youth; vigorous or livelyshe's very young for her age

of or relating to youthin my young days

having been established or introduced for a relatively short timea young member

in an early stage of progress or development; not far advancedthe day was young

geography

(of mountains) formed in the Alpine orogeny and still usually rugged in outline
another term for youthful (def. 4)

(often capital) of or relating to a rejuvenated group or movement or one claiming to represent the younger members of the population, esp one adhering to a political ideologyYoung England; Young Socialists

noun

(functioning as plural) offspring, esp young animalsa rabbit with her young

with young (of animals) pregnant

Derived forms of young

youngish, adjective

Word Origin for young

Old English geong; related to Old Saxon, Old High German iung, Old Norse ungr, Latin iuvenis, Sanskrit yuvan

British Dictionary definitions for young (2 of 2)

Young

/ (jʌŋ) /

noun

Brigham (ˈbrɪɡəm). 1801–77, US Mormon leader, who led the Mormon migration to Utah and founded Salt Lake City (1847)

Edward. 1683–1765, English poet and dramatist, noted for his Night Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality (1742–45)

Lester. 1909–59, US saxophonist and clarinetist. He was a leading early exponent of the tenor saxophone in jazz

Neil (Percival). born 1945, Canadian rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His albums include Harvest (1972), Rust Never Sleeps (1979), Ragged Glory (1990), and Prairie Wind (2005)

Thomas. 1773–1829, English physicist, physician, and Egyptologist. He helped to establish the wave theory of light by his experiments on optical interference and assisted in the decipherment of the Rosetta Stone

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for young

Young

[ yŭng ]

Thomas 1773-1829

British physicist and physician who is best known for his contributions to the wave theory of light and his discovery of how the lens of the human eye changes shape to focus on objects of different distances. He also studied surface tension and elasticity, and Young's modulus (a measure of the rigidity of materials) is named for him. He is also credited with the first scientific definition of the word energy.

young

OTHER WORDS FOR young

OPPOSITES FOR young

Idioms about young

Origin of young

synonym study for young

OTHER WORDS FROM young

Words nearby young

Other definitions for young (2 of 2)

Words related to young

How to use young in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for young (1 of 2)

Derived forms of young

Word Origin for young

British Dictionary definitions for young (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for young