young

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

adj. youthful; puerile; ageless; green; foundling; adolescent, juvenile, teenage; fresh, new; inexperienced, immature. See youth. — n. offspring, children. See posterity.

II

(Roget's IV) modif.

1. [In the early portion of life]

Syn. puerile, boyish, girlish, adolescent, juvenile, budding, juvenescent, in one's teens, childlike, youthful, pubescent, boylike, girllike, new-fledged, blooming, burgeoning, childish, half-grown, growing, blossoming, at the breast, (babe) in arms, knee high to a grasshopper*.

Ant. old*, aged, senile.

2. [Inexperienced]

Syn. callow, green, immature, tender, raw, untutored, unlearned, junior, subordinate, inferior, unfledged, ignorant, undisciplined, tenderfoot*, not dry behind the ears*, still wet behind the ears*; see also incompetent , inexperienced , naive .

Ant. veteran*, expert, experienced.

3. [New]

Syn. fresh, modern, recent, newborn; see fashionable .

Syn.- young is the general word for one in an early period of life and variously connotes the vigor, 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 maturity or 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 a child [puerile petulance ] ; adolescent applies to one in the period between puberty and maturity and especially suggests the awkwardness, emotional instability, etc. of this period [adolescent yearnings ]

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

children, offspring, litter, babies, progeny.

II

a.

immature, undeveloped, unfinished, growing, youthful, tender, fresh, newborn, infantile, fledgling, childish, juvenile, teenage, adolescent, pubescent, school-age, boyish, girlish, junior, new, untested, unpracticed, unseasoned, unhardened, inexperienced, naive.

ANT.: mature, developed, old, experienced, adult, aged

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I adjective Being in an early period of growth or development: green, immature, infant, juvenile, youthful. See YOUTH. II noun 1. Young people collectively: youth. See YOUTH. 2. The offspring, as of an animal or a bird, for example, that are the result of one breeding season: brood, litter. See KIN.