youthful

[yooth-fuh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR youthful ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

characterized by youth; young.

of, relating to, or befitting youth: youthful enthusiasm.

having the appearance, freshness, vigor, etc., of youth: She is 60 but her optimism has kept her youthful.

in an early period of existence; early in time.

Physical Geography. (of topographical features) having undergone erosion to a slight extent only.

Origin of youthful

First recorded in 1555–65; youth + -ful

Related formsyouth·ful·ly, adverbyouth·ful·ness, nounpre·youth·ful, adjectiveun·youth·ful, adjectiveun·youth·ful·ly, adverbun·youth·ful·ness, noun

Synonyms for youthful

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR youthful ON THESAURUS.COM

1–3. See young.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for youthful

adolescent, enthusiastic, underage, young, girlish, boyish, childlike, childish, inexperienced, active, budding, buoyant, callow, fresh, green, infant, juvenile, keen, puerile, tender

Examples from the Web for youthful

Contemporary Examples of youthful

Julio Cardenas, 25 and an MC from the group RCA, was older but with a youthful smile that hid the harsher sides of Cuban life.
Cuban Hip-Hop Was Born in Alamar
Daniel Levin
December 26, 2014
John Paul was youthful in his sixties with a radiant charisma.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF
Jason Berry
December 21, 2014
I agree with you, but the youthful energy in the libertarian movement foresees a tipping point.
This Republican Loved Taxes & Modern Art
Scott Porch
November 19, 2014
Imagine if you were doomed forever to live inside a youthful mistake.
Here’s a Reform Even the Koch Brothers and George Soros Can Agree On
Tina Brown
November 10, 2014
This was before Cassidy entered politics, and the Republican congressman now calls that donation a “youthful indiscretion.”
Mary Landrieu-Bill Cassidy Louisiana Senate Race Heads to a Runoff
Tim Mak
November 5, 2014

Historical Examples of youthful

Never had her youthful freshness so appealed to her brother.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
He was thinking, with bitterness, of his own youthful indiscretions.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
A feeling of sorrow and pity came over the youthful Perseus.
The Gorgon's Head
Nathaniel Hawthorne
James Osborne, the youthful cashier, feigned complete paralysis.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius
It was, indeed, just the spot to captivate a youthful and susceptible fancy.
Night and Morning, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

British Dictionary definitions for youthful

youthful

adjective

of, relating to, possessing, or characteristic of youth

fresh, vigorous, or activehe's surprisingly youthful for his age

in an early stage of developmenta youthful culture

Also: young (of a river, valley, or land surface) in the early stage of the cycle of erosion, characterized by steep slopes, lack of flood plains, and V-shaped valleysCompare mature (def. 6), old (def. 18)

Derived Formsyouthfully, adverbyouthfulness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for youthful

adj.

1560s, from youth + -ful. Related: Youthfulness.