youngster

noun

young·​ster ˈyəŋ(k)-stər How to pronounce youngster (audio)
Synonyms of youngsternext
1
a
: a young person : youth
b
: child
2
: a young animal or plant especially of a domesticated or cultivated breed or type

Synonyms of youngster

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of youngster in a Sentence

As a youngster, he was very shy. bright-eyed youngsters interested in learning
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.
In 2023, youngsters between the ages of 9 and 12 averaged six hours a day excluding school. — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The youngster has proved his worth on defense and has the base-running acumen to be a viable pinch-runner. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 He was involved with NASA and the Optimus Prime Spinoff Award, which is presented each year to youngsters studying space, science, technology and math. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026 West Ham could have capitulated after Leo Scienza’s opener for Southampton in the 10th minute, but the youngsters showed they were not overawed. — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for youngster

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of youngster was in 1589

Browse Nearby Words

youngs
youngster
Youngstown
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Youngster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/youngster. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

youngster

noun
young·​ster ˈyəŋ(k)-stər How to pronounce youngster (audio)
1
: a young person : youth
2
: child sense 2a
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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