teen

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈtēn How to pronounce teen (audio)
Synonyms of teennext
: a teenage person : teenager
teen adjective

teen

2 of 2

noun (2)

archaic
: misery, affliction

Examples of teen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
While assisting, another car hydroplaned toward the group; Taunton pushed one of the teens out of the way and was struck herself, absorbing the impact. — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2026 Meta agreed to impose changes including a default two-hour daily time limit for teens across Facebook and Instagram, muted notifications during school hours, and enhanced parental controls, with more updates potentially on the horizon. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026 The teen, a standout player on his high school football team, remains behind bars over the alleged incident. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 An Apple Valley man is accused of murder and street racing in a crash that killed 2 California teens. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for teen

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

Middle English tene, from Old English tēona injury, grief; akin to Old Norse tjōn loss, damage

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1818, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teen was in the 13th century

Rhymes for teen

See All Rhymes for teen

Browse Nearby Words

teem with rain
teen
teenage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Teen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teen. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

teen

noun
ˈtēn
: teenager
teen adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on teen

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for teen

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All