Word forms: comparative younger (jʌŋgəʳ), superlative youngest (jʌŋgəst)
1. adjective
A young person, animal, or plant has not lived or existed for very long and is not yet mature.
In Scotland, young people can marry at 16.
You weren't so very young when she died; you were old enough to remember.
...a field of young barley.
He played with his younger brother.
The young are people who are young.
The association is advising pregnant women, the very young and the elderly to avoidsuch foods.
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use young to describe a time when a person or thing was young.
In her younger days my mother had been a successful fashionwear saleswoman.
3. adjective
Someone who is young in appearance or behaviour looks or behaves as if they are young.
I was twenty-three, I suppose, and young for my age. [+ for]
He seemed to me very young and very lonely.
4. plural noun
The young of an animal are its babies.
The hen may not be able to feed its young.
Synonyms: offspring, baby, litter, family More Synonyms of young
More Synonyms of young
young in British English
(jʌŋ)
adjectiveWord forms: younger (ˈjʌŋɡə) or youngest (ˈjʌŋɡɪst)
1.
a.
having lived, existed, or been made or known for a relatively short time
a young man
a young movement
a young country
b.
(as collective noun; preceded by the)
the young
2.
youthful or having qualities associated with youth; vigorous or lively
she's very young for her age
3.
of or relating to youth
in my young days
4.
having been established or introduced for a relatively short time
a young member
5.
in an early stage of progress or development; not far advanced
the day was young
6. geography
a.
(of mountains) formed in the Alpine orogeny and still usually rugged in outline
b. another term for youthful (sense 4)
7. (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 ideology
Young England
Young Socialists
noun
8. (functioning as plural)
offspring, esp young animals
a rabbit with her young
9. with young
Derived forms
youngish (ˈyoungish)
adjective
Word origin
Old English geong; related to Old Saxon, Old High German iung, Old Norse ungr, Latin iuvenis, Sanskrit yuvan
Young in British English
(jʌŋ)
noun
1.
Brigham (ˈbrɪɡəm). 1801–77, US religious leader, who led the migration of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) to Utah and founded Salt Lake City (1847)
2.
Edward. 1683–1765, English poet and dramatist, noted for his Night Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality (1742–45)
3.
Lester. 1909–59, US saxophonist and clarinettist. He was a leading early exponent of the tenor saxophone in jazz
4.
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)
5.
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
adjectiveWord forms: ˈyounger (ˈjʌŋgər) or ˈyoungest (ˈjʌŋgəst)
1.
being in an early period of life or growth; not old
2.
characteristic of youth in quality, appearance, or behavior; fresh; vigorous; strong; lively; active
3.
representing or embodying a new tendency, social movement, progressivism, etc.
the Young Turks
4.
of or having to do with youth or early life
5.
lately begun; not advanced or developed; in an early stage
6.
lacking experience or practice; immature; raw; ignorant; green
7.
younger than another of the same name or family; junior
young Jones or his father, the young Mr. Baker
8. Geology
a.
in a stage of increasing and more effective activity, as a stream cutting deep valleys or gorges
b.
having undergone little erosion, as a mountain range showing rugged topography
noun
9.
young people
often with the
10.
offspring, esp. young offspring, collectively
a bear and her young
Idioms:
with young
SYNONYMY NOTE: young is the general word for one in an early period of life and variously connotes thevigor, strength, immaturity, etc. of this period [a young child, man, etc.; young blood]; youthful applies to one who is, or appears to be, in the period between childhood and maturityor to that which is appropriate to such a person [a youthful executive, youthful hopes]; juvenile applies to that which relates to, is suited to, or is intended for young persons[juvenile delinquency, behavior, books, etc.]; puerile implies reference to adults who unbecomingly display the immature qualities of achild [puerile petulance]; adolescent applies to one in the period between puberty and maturity and especially suggeststhe awkwardness, emotional instability, etc. of this period [adolescent yearnings]
OPPOSITES: old, mature
Word origin
ME yonge < OE geong, akin to Ger & Du jung < IE *yuwen- > L juvenis, Sans yuvan-, young
More idioms containing
young
young blood
Examples of 'young' in a sentence
young
It is not as appealing to a young person.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was full of groups of young men.
The Sun (2016)
And there were the young people behind her listening intently.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And what suits you when you are young may change with age.
The Sun (2016)
His two younger brothers and father have since joined them.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She is conscious that she might become one for young women.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Then there is the unseen financial investment agents make in young players.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He is young enough to be my son and it was so exciting.
The Sun (2016)
These too might be harmful, especially to young brains.
The Sun (2017)
I have no desire to marry my younger man.
The Sun (2016)
Worries which may seem trivial to the onlooker can be of great proportions to the young person.
Aiken, Nick Working with Teenagers (1994)
Will the young as well as young at heart enjoy it?
The Sun (2007)
That most schemes designed to introduce young people to arts and culture are destined to fail.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Why is coaching especially effective with young and emerging leaders?
Christianity Today (2000)
Some of them are too young and some may not be good enough.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The conservative culture also means that cohabitation is rare and couples marry younger than elsewhere.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Surely he must be one of the youngest to do so?
The Sun (2010)
There were no young players coming through the system.
The Sun (2012)
To lose three months of that when you are young and fit enough to play is ridiculous.
The Sun (2016)
We owe it to the younger generation to allow them a better range of choices.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Three million young adults live with their parents.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It was both our dreams from a young age.
The Sun (2012)
Young people these days seem to mind rather more about the quality of the education they get.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
His younger brother 's footballing days are also over.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It's a relatively young squad so it will continue to improve.
The Sun (2015)
In other languages
young
British English: young /jʌŋ/ ADJECTIVE
A young person, animal, or plant has not lived for very long.
A kitten is a young cat.
American English: young
Arabic: شَابّ
Brazilian Portuguese: jovem
Chinese: 年轻的
Croatian: mlad
Czech: mladý
Danish: ung
Dutch: jong
European Spanish: joven
Finnish: nuori
French: jeune
German: jung
Greek: νεαρός
Italian: giovane
Japanese: 若い
Korean: 어린
Norwegian: ung
Polish: młody
European Portuguese: jovem
Romanian: tânăr
Russian: молодой
Latin American Spanish: joven
Swedish: ung
Thai: อ่อนวัย
Turkish: genç
Ukrainian: молодий
Vietnamese: trẻ
All related terms of 'young'
young gun
You can use young guns to talk about people, especially young men , who have lots of energy and talent , and are becoming very successful .
young man
a boyfriend ; sweetheart
young one
a child or offspring
with young
(of animals) pregnant
young adult
an age group including persons from about 12 years to about 18 years old: used as a reader category in libraries , book publishing , etc.
young blood
young people who are brought into a company or organization in order to provide new ideas or new talent
young-eyed
having the bright , clear , keen eyes associated with youth
young fogey
a young or fairly young person who adopts the conservative values of an older generation
young hyson
the early crop of a Chinese green tea
young lady
a girlfriend ; sweetheart
young-onset
(of a medical condition) occurring when a person is relatively young, or younger than other people with the condition
young self
A person's self is the essential part of their nature which makes them different from everyone and everything else.
young thing
a young person
Young Turk
a progressive , revolutionary , or rebellious member of an organization, political party, etc, esp one agitating for radical reform
young artist
An artist is a person who creates novels, poems , films, or other things which can be considered as works of art.
young family
A family is a group of people who are related to each other, especially parents and their children.
Young Ireland
a movement or party of Irish patriots in the 1840s who split with Daniel O'Connell because they favoured a more violent policy than that which he promoted
young-looking
having the appearance of youth
young manager
The manager of a sports team is the person responsible for training the players and organizing the way they play. In American English, manager is only used for baseball ; in other sports, → coach is used instead .
young audience
The audience for a television or radio programme consists of all the people who watch or listen to it.
young marrieds
young married people
young offender
a criminal who, according to the law, is not yet an adult but no longer a child
Young Pretender
→ Stuart 2
old and young
people of all ages
Young Conservative
a member of the youth section of the United Kingdom Conservative Party
angry young man
one of several British novelists and playwrights of the 1950s who shared a hostility towards the established traditions and ruling elements of their country
angry young men
a group of young writers in Great Britain after WWII, bitterly critical of upper-class and middle-class values, practices, etc.
Young Conservatives
the youth section of the United Kingdom Conservative Party until 1998
Young's modulus
a modulus of elasticity , applicable to the stretching of a wire etc, equal to the ratio of the applied load per unit area of cross section to the increase in length per unit length
bright young things
young, fun-loving , fashionable upper-class people, esp of the 1920s
young-onset dementia
a form of dementia starting before a person is 65 years old
young offender institution
(in Britain ) a place where offenders aged 15 to 21 may be detained and given training , instruction , and work
young offenders institution
(in Britain ) a place where offenders aged 15 to 21 may be detained and given training , instruction , and work
egg foo yong
a Chinese-American dish consisting of eggs beaten and cooked with bean sprouts , onions , minced pork or shrimp , etc.
YC
Young Conservative
Young Men's Christian Association
an international organization that provides sports activities and accommodation for young men
Young Women's Christian Association
an international women's organization that works for the rights and interests of women
new blood/fresh blood/young blood
You can use the expressions new blood , fresh blood , or young blood to refer to people who are brought into an organization to improve it by thinking of new ideas or new ways of doing things.
youth custody centre
(in Britain) a place where offenders aged 15 to 21 may be detained and given training , instruction , and work
Chinese translation of 'young'
young
(jʌŋ)
adj
幼小的 (yòuxiǎo de)
a young man一个(個)小伙(夥)子 (yī gè xiǎohuǒzi)
a young lady一位少女 (yī wèi shàonǚ)
my younger brother/sister我的弟弟/妹妹 (wǒde dìdi/mèimei)
the younger generation年轻(輕)一代 (niánqīng yī dài)
in my younger days在我年轻(輕)的时(時)候 (zài wǒ niánqīng de shíhou)
Derived Forms
the youngn pl
(= people) 年轻(輕)人 (niánqīngrén)
[of animal]幼仔 (yòuzǎi)
1 (adjective)
Definition
having lived or existed for a relatively short time
I was still too young to understand what was going on.
Synonyms
immature
The birds were in immature plumage.
juvenile
a scheme to rehibilitate persistent juvenile offenders
youthful
youthful enthusiasm and high spirits
little
When I was little, I was hyperactive.
growing
green
junior
infant
The infant company was based in Germany.
adolescent
her adolescent years
callow
Although he's 25, he still behaves like a callow youth in some ways.
unfledged
new-hatched, unfledged courage
in the springtime of life
Opposites
adult
,
mature
,
old
, aged,
senior
,
elderly
,
grown-up
,
ripe
,
venerable
,
full-grown
2 (adjective)
Definition
having lived or existed for a relatively short time
the larvae, the young stages of the worm
Synonyms
early
early man's cultural development
new
They opened a factory in India to manufacture this new invention.
undeveloped
fledgling
advice he gave to fledgling writers
newish
not far advanced
Opposites
old
,
developed
,
advanced
(noun)
Definition
offspring, esp. young animals
The hen may not be able to feed its young.
Synonyms
offspring
Characteristics are often passed from parents to offspring.
baby
litter
a litter of puppies
family
His family are completely behind him, whatever he decides.
issue
He died without issue in 1946.
brood
The last brood of the pair was hatched.
little ones
progeny
They set aside funds to ensure the welfare of their progeny.
Opposites
parent
,
adult
,
grown-up
Additional synonyms
in the sense of adolescent
Definition
of or relating to adolescence
her adolescent years
Synonyms
young,
growing,
junior,
teenage,
juvenile,
youthful,
childish,
immature,
boyish,
undeveloped,
girlish,
puerile,
in the springtime of life
in the sense of brood
Definition
a number of young animals, esp. birds, produced at one hatching
The last brood of the pair was hatched.
Synonyms
offspring,
young,
issue,
breed,
infants,
clutch,
hatch,
litter,
chicks,
progeny
in the sense of callow
Definition
young and inexperienced
Although he's 25, he still behaves like a callow youth in some ways.
Synonyms
inexperienced,
juvenile,
naïve,
immature,
raw,
untried,
green,
unsophisticated,
puerile,
guileless,
jejune (formal),
unfledged
Synonyms of 'young'
young
Explore 'young' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of family
Definition
one's wife or husband and one's children
His family are completely behind him, whatever he decides.
Synonyms
relations,
people,
children,
issue,
relatives,
household,
folk (informal),
offspring,
descendants,
brood,
kin,
nuclear family,
progeny,
kindred,
next of kin,
kinsmen,
ménage,
kith and kin,
your nearest and dearest,
kinsfolk,
your own flesh and blood,
ainga (New Zealand),
cuzzies or cuzzie-bros (New Zealand),
rellies (Australian, slang)
in the sense of fledgling
Definition
new or inexperienced
advice he gave to fledgling writers
Synonyms
new,
beginning,
developing,
emerging,
amateur,
embryonic,
probationary
in the sense of infant
Definition
in an early stage of development
The infant company was based in Germany.
Synonyms
early,
new,
developing,
young,
growing,
initial,
dawning,
fledgling,
newborn,
immature,
embryonic,
emergent,
nascent,
unfledged
in the sense of issue
Definition
the descendants of a person
He died without issue in 1946.
Synonyms
children,
young,
offspring,
babies,
kids (informal),
seed (biblical),
successors,
heirs,
descendants,
progeny,
scions
in the sense of juvenile
Definition
young
a scheme to rehibilitate persistent juvenile offenders
Synonyms
young,
junior,
adolescent,
youthful,
immature
in the sense of litter
Definition
a group of animals produced at one birth
a litter of puppies
Synonyms
brood,
family,
young,
offspring,
progeny
in the sense of little
Definition
young
When I was little, I was hyperactive.
Synonyms
young,
small,
junior,
infant,
immature,
undeveloped,
babyish
in the sense of new
Definition
recently discovered
They opened a factory in India to manufacture this new invention.
Synonyms
modern,
recent,
contemporary,
up-to-date,
latest,
happening (informal),
different,
current,
advanced,
original,
fresh,
novel,
topical,
state-of-the-art,
ground-breaking,
modish,
newfangled,
modernistic,
ultramodern,
all-singing, all-dancing
in the sense of progeny
Definition
offspring
They set aside funds to ensure the welfare of their progeny.