young
young (yŭng) adjective
younger, youngest
1. Being in an early period of life, development, or growth.
2. Newly begun or formed; not advanced: The evening is still young.
3. Of, belonging to, or suggestive of youth or early life: He is young for his age.
4. Vigorous or fresh; youthful.
5. Lacking experience; immature: a young hand at plowing.
6. Being the junior of two people having the same name.
7. Geology. Being of an early stage in a geologic cycle. Used of bodies of water and land formations.
noun
1. Young persons considered as a group; youth: entertainment for the young.
2. Offspring; brood: a lioness with her young.
idiom.
with young
Pregnant.
[Middle English yong, from Old English geong.]
youngʹness noun
Synonyms: young, youthful, adolescent, immature, juvenile, puerile, green. These adjectives are compared as they mean of, relating to, characteristic of, or being in an early period of growth or development. Young is the most general of the terms: a young child. Youthful suggests characteristics, such as enthusiasm, freshness, or energy, that are associated with youth: youthful ardor. Adolescent specifically implies the characteristics of those in the period between childhood and maturity: adolescent insecurity. Immature applies to what is not yet fully grown or developed; the term sometimes suggests that someone falls short of an expected level of maturity: an emotionally immature adult. Juvenile connotes immaturity, often childishness: the juvenile pranks of the conventioneers. Puerile is used derogatorily to suggest silliness, foolishness, or infantilism: a puerile joke. Green implies lack of training or experience and sometimes callowness: The crew couldn't deal with the emergency. They were all green recruits.