I. young 1 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 $ -n ə l, -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 infancy.
II. young 2 BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ young , ↑ youngster , ↑ youth , ↑ youthfulness ; adjective : ↑ young , ↑ youthful ; adverb : ↑ youthfully ]
1 . the young young people:
The young are easily misled.
2 . [plural] a group of young animals that belong to a particular mother or type of animal:
The lioness fought to protect her young.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ baby a very young child who has not yet learned to speak or walk:
I sat next to a woman holding a baby.
▪ toddler a baby who has learned how to walk:
The playground has a special area for toddlers.
▪ infant formal a baby or a very young child:
The disease is mainly found in infants.
▪ little one spoken informal a baby, or a small child up to the age of about three:
How old is your little one?
▪ young the babies of an animal or bird:
Kangaroos carry their young in a pouch.
▪ litter a group of baby animals that are born at the same time to the same mother:
Our cat has just had a litter of six kittens.