young 1 S1 W1 / jʌŋ / 形容词 ( comparative younger , superlative youngest )
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 同义词 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 [仅用于名词前] 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 / dʒuvənaɪl $ -n ə l, -naɪl / [仅用于名词前] 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.