youthful
Americanadjective
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characterized by youth; young.
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of, relating to, or befitting youth.
youthful enthusiasm.
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having the appearance, freshness, vigor, etc., of youth.
She is 60 but her optimism has kept her youthful.
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in an early period of existence; early in time.
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Physical Geography. (of topographical features) having undergone erosion to a slight extent only.
adjective
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of, relating to, possessing, or characteristic of youth
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fresh, vigorous, or active
he's surprisingly youthful for his age
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in an early stage of development
a youthful culture
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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 valleys Compare mature old
Related Words
See young.
Other Word Forms
- preyouthful adjective
- unyouthful adjective
- unyouthfully adverb
- unyouthfulness noun
- youthfully adverb
- youthfulness noun
Etymology
Origin of youthful
Explanation
Use the adjective youthful to describe someone who is young or who acts as though they are — like your surprisingly youthful grandma, who just signed up for a hiphop dance class and rides her skateboard around the neighborhood. This word is handy for talking about the general characteristics of young people, like youthful energy, youthful stubbornness, or youthful enthusiasm. You might also say someone looks youthful if they appear younger than they are. Someone who acts youthful might enjoy swinging on the swings at the playground, even if they're no longer a kid. At the heart of youthful is youth, "the period between childhood and adulthood."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Last month, as Nepal inaugurated its new prime minister Balendra Shah, along with a parliament stacked with youthful lawmakers, Bangladeshi activist Umama Fatema felt a pang of disappointment as she watched from afar.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026
Chitwood has invested in a company working on epigenetic reprogramming, a process that aims to restore cells to a youthful state by pulling a specific combination of genetic levers.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
Iskander’s David is a young man whose youthful piety and heroism make him a sympathetic figure, notwithstanding the bag of cold cuts.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
In general, they always prefer early records because they’re filled with that youthful sort of impatience.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Her youthful face hinted that she’d only been out of law school for a few years, and her huge smile indicated she was delighted, if perhaps a bit surprised, to hear the guilty plea.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
