Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Being in an early stage of life or development: Used to describe living things, especially people, animals, or plants, that are not old or mature.
   • Relating to or characteristic of youth: Pertaining to the qualities of early life, such as vigor, freshness, or inexperience.
   • Newly formed or begun: Used to describe something, like an organization or industry, that is in its early stages of existence.
   • Early in time or sequence: Occurring near the beginning of a period, season, or process.

2. Noun:

   • Young people collectively: Refers to the youth as a group.
   • Offspring of an animal: The young of a creature, especially birds or mammals.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:

  • She is a young woman with a bright future.
  • The young trees need to be watered regularly.
  • He is too young in this business to understand the risks.
  • The night is still young; we have plenty of time.

• Noun:

  • This policy is designed to help the young find employment.
  • The bird protects its young from predators.

Advanced Usage

• "young at heart": Having a youthful outlook or spirit despite one's age.

  • My grandmother is 80 but she's still young at heart.

• "young and old": People of all ages.

  • The festival attracts young and old alike.

• "to be with young" (archaic/formal): To be pregnant (used for animals).

  • The doe was with young.

Variants and Related Words

• Youngster (n): A child or young person.

  • The youngsters were playing in the park.

• Youth (n): The period of being young; young people collectively.

  • He spent his youth in the countryside.

• Youngish (adj): Fairly young.

  • He's a youngish man, perhaps in his late thirties.

Synonyms

• Adjective: youthful, juvenile, adolescent, immature, early, new, fresh.
• Noun: youth, offspring, progeny, children.

Antonyms

• Adjective: old, aged, mature, elderly, ancient.
• Noun: (for offspring) parents, adults.

Related Phrases

• "not getting any younger": Used to say someone is aging, often to suggest prompt action.

  • We should go on that trip now; we're not getting any younger.

• "young blood": New, young members of a group, bringing fresh ideas and energy.

  • The company needs some young blood to revitalize its management.

Adjective

1. not tried or tested by experience
   • unseasoned artillery volunteers
   • still untested in battle
   • an illustrator untried in mural painting
   • a young hand at plowing
2. being in its early stage
   • a young industry
   • the day is still young
3. suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh
   • he is young for his age
4. (of crops) harvested at an early stage of development; before complete maturity
   • new potatoes
   • young corn
5. (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
   • young people

Noun

1. young people collectively
   • rock music appeals to the young
   • youth everywhere rises in revolt
2. United States religious leader of the Mormon Church after the assassination of Joseph Smith; he led the Mormon exodus from Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah (1801-1877)
3. United States baseball player and famous pitcher (1867-1955)
4. English poet (1683-1765)
5. United States jazz tenor saxophonist (1909-1959)
6. British physicist and Egyptologist; he revived the wave theory of light and proposed a three-component theory of color vision; he also played an important role in deciphering the hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone (1773-1829)
7. United States civil rights leader (1921-1971)
8. United States film and television actress (1913-2000)
9. any immature animal