youth ‧ ful /ˈjuːθf ə l/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ young , ↑ youngster , ↑ youth , ↑ youthfulness ; adjective : ↑ young , ↑ youthful ; adverb : ↑ youthfully ]
1 . typical of young people, or seeming young
youthful enthusiasm/energy/vigour
youthful appearance/looks/complexion
She has managed to maintain her youthful appearance.
2 . young:
The photo shows a smiling, youthful Burgos.
—youthfully adverb
—youthfulness noun [uncountable]
• • •
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