youngster

youngster — noun

1. someone who is no longer a small child but has not yet reached adulthood, typica

1.名詞B1
釋義

someone who is no longer a small child but has not yet reached adulthood, typically between about eight and eighteen years old. The word sounds warm and casual rather than formal.

例句

Rafael's little sister is a lively youngster who loves dancing and singing.

collocation: a lively youngster

The sports club in Karim's town welcomes youngsters from age six to sixteen.

noun pattern: welcomes youngsters from [age range]

同義詞
  • kid

    More common and covers a wider age range; slightly more informal

  • teenager

    Refers specifically to ages 13–19; neutral register

  • youth

    Slightly more formal or literary; can be used as both a count noun and a collective

  • adolescent

    Formal or technical term focusing on the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood

反義詞
  • adult

    The neutral opposite in terms of age

  • elder

    Formal opposite, especially in traditional or community contexts

文法句型

youngster + verb (singular/plural)

a/an + adjective + youngster

用法筆記

Informal register — use child, teenager, or adolescent in formal or academic writing. The word often implies warmth or approval and is less common for describing very young children (under about age six).

常見錯誤

❌The two-year-old youngster played with her toys.
✅The two-year-old played with her toys.
💡'Youngster' usually refers to children past the toddler years, roughly aged six or older.
❌The report recommends support for youngsters from low-income families.
✅The report recommends support for children from low-income families.
💡'Youngster' is too informal for official or academic documents.