/yung/ , adj., younger /yung"geuhr/ , youngest /yung"gist/ , n.
adj.
1. being in the first or early stage of life or growth; youthful; not old: a young woman.
2. having the appearance, freshness, vigor, or other qualities of youth.
3. of or pertaining to youth: in one's young days.
4. inexperienced or immature.
5. not far advanced in years in comparison with another or others.
6. junior, as applied to the younger of two persons having the same name: the young Mr. Smith.
7. being in an early stage generally, as of existence, progress, operation, development, or maturity; new; early: a young wine; It is a young company, not yet firmly established.
8. representing or advocating recent or progressive tendencies, policies, or the like.
n.
9. those who have youth; young persons collectively: the educated young of today; a game for young and old.
10. young offspring: a mother hen protecting her young.
11. with young , (of an animal) pregnant.
[ bef. 900; ME yong ( e ), OE geong; c. D jong, G jung, ON ungr, Goth jungs; akin to L juvenis ]
Syn. 1. growing. YOUNG, YOUTHFUL, JUVENILE all refer to lack of age. YOUNG is the general word for that which is undeveloped, immature, and in process of growth: a young colt, child; young shoots of wheat. YOUTHFUL has connotations suggesting the favorable characteristics of youth, such as vigor, enthusiasm, and hopefulness: youthful sports, energy, outlook. JUVENILE may suggest less desirable characteristics, such as childishness, petulance, idleness, selfishness, or heedlessness ( juvenile behavior ), or it may refer simply to the years, up to the later teens, before legal responsibility: juvenile delinquency; juvenile court; juvenile books.
Ant. 1. mature, old.