young

young

I. young¹ S1 W1 /jʌŋ/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative younger, superlative youngest)
[Word Family: noun: ↑young, ↑youngster, ↑youth, ↑youthfulness; adjective: ↑young, ↑youthful; adverb: ↑youthfully]
[Language: Old English; Origin: geong]

1. a young person, plant, or animal has not lived for very long:
a young child
He’s younger than me.
You’re too young to get married.
young trees
When I was young, I wanted to be a model.
John was a great footballer in his younger days (=when he was younger).
2. a young country, organization, or type of science has existed for only a short time:
At that time, America was still a young nation.
Psychology is a young science.
3. young lady/man spoken used to speak to a girl or boy when you are angry with them:
Now, you listen to me, young man!
4. seeming or looking younger than you are SYN youthful:
Val is incredibly young for her age.
5. young at heart thinking and behaving as if you were young, even though you are old
6. 65/82/97 etc years young spoken used humorously to give the age of an old person who seems or feels much younger:
Next week, Bessie will be 84 years young.
7. designed or intended for young people:
I’m looking for something in a younger style.
8. young gun/Turk a young person who has just started doing a job or being involved in something, and is eager to achieve things or make changes
9. somebody is not getting any younger used to say that someone is no longer young, especially when they may soon be too old to do something
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ young not old: a young man of about 22 | My dad died when I was young. | There are excellent facilities for young children. | Young people are often unable to get jobs.
▪ small/little a small child is very young. Little sounds more informal than small, and is used especially in spoken English: They have two small children. | We used to go camping a lot when the kids were little.
▪ teenage [only before noun] between the ages of 13 and 19: a group of teenage boys | They have three teenage children.
▪ adolescent especially written at the age when you change from being a child into an adult – used especially when talking about the problems that young people have at this age: Sudden mood changes are common in adolescent girls. | adolescent behaviour
▪ juvenile /ˈdʒuːvənaɪl $ -nəl, -naɪl/ [only before noun] formal connected with young people who commit crime: juvenile crime | a special prison for juvenile offenders | juvenile deliquents (=young people who commit crimes)
▪ youthful especially written seeming young, or typical of someone who is young – often used about someone who is no longer young: a youthful 55 year old | youthful enthusiasm | Andrew still has a slim youthful look about him. | The photograph showed a youthful, smiling Rose.
▪ junior connected with sports played by young people rather than adults: the junior championships | the junior champion
■ COLLOCATIONS CHECK
▪ small/little child/girl/boy
▪ teenage girl/boy/daughter/mother/pregnancy
▪ juvenile crime/offence/court/offender/delinquent
▪ youthful enthusiasm/energy/face/look/appearance
■ when you are young
▪ childhood the time when you are a child, especially a young child: I had a wonderful childhood in the country. | childhood illnesses
▪ girlhood/boyhood the time when you are a young girl or boy: The two men had been friends in boyhood. | the transition from girlhood to womanhood
▪ youth the time when you are young, especially between about 15 and 25 when you are no longer a child: He was a great sportsman in his youth. | She revisited all the places where she had spent her youth.
▪ adolescence the time when you are changing from being a child into an adult – used especially when you are talking about the problems people have at this age: During adolescence, boys are often lacking in self-confidence.
▪ infancy formal the time when you are a baby: In the past, many more babies died in