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

Even Arteta, who is very conscious of not applying pressure to the youngster, compared his talents with those of Argentina great Lionel Messi.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Rai's father Amrik used to take him to 3 Hammers for lessons with instructor Darren Prosser, with the youngster going out on the par-three course afterwards to put what he had been taught into practice.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

The youngster now hopes to climb the tallest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales in less than 24 hours to raise money for Holywell Town FC.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

That youngster had not traveled before getting infected.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

If we examine its successive stages, we find that the youngster must develop all the skills that go into adult art: coordination, intellect, personality, imagination, creativity, and aesthetic judgment.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

Related Words

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