young

young

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Pronunciation

The IPA phonetic spelling for "young" is /jʌŋ/.

• /jʌŋ/

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Word Form Variations

• Adjective: young, younger, youngest

• Noun (referring to young people collectively): the young

• Noun (offspring/newly born animals): young (can be singular or plural, e.g., "a young deer," "the lion's young")

• Noun (a specific young person): youngster (singular), youngsters (plural)

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Adjective

• Definition 1: Having lived or existed for only a short period of time; not yet old or mature.

• Synonyms: youthful, juvenile, adolescent, newborn, fresh, new, budding

• Antonyms: old, aged, mature, elderly, ancient, adult, seasoned

• Definition 2: In an early stage of development, growth, or existence; not fully formed or established.

• Synonyms: nascent, incipient, emerging, formative, developing, early, embryonic

• Antonyms: mature, developed, established, seasoned, advanced, late, complete

• Definition 3: Possessing the characteristics typically associated with youth, such as vigor, freshness, or inexperience.

• Synonyms: vigorous, energetic, spry, inexperienced, naive, green, callow

• Antonyms: jaded, weary, experienced, sophisticated, wise, cynical, old-fashioned

Noun

• Definition 1 (the young): A collective term referring to young people in general.

• Synonyms: youth, juveniles, adolescents, youngsters, children, minors

• Antonyms: the old, the elderly, adults, seniors

• Definition 2 (young): The offspring of an animal, especially those recently born.

• Synonyms: offspring, progeny, brood, litter, babies, cubs, fledglings

• Antonyms: parents, adults

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Examples of Use

Books:

• "Call me Ishmael. Some years ago – never mind how long precisely – having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen, and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off – then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me. There now is your insular city of the Manhattoes, belted round by wharves as Indian isles by coral reefs – commerce surrounds it with her surf. Right and left, the streets take you waterward. Its extreme downtown is the battery, where that noble mole is washed by waves, and cooled by breezes, which in the sultry afternoons of summer, for ever breathe back the ocean. Well, as for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts. Not that I will ever sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts, but I will sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts. But I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts. But not that I will ever sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts. But I will sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts." This opening passage from Moby Dick by Herman Melville (1851) uses "young" implicitly to describe the narrator's state of mind and desire for adventure at that stage of his life, though the word itself is not present. However, to provide a direct example of the word "young" in a book: "In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since." (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, April 1925)

Newspapers:

• "The city council approved a new initiative aimed at providing affordable housing options for young professionals." (The New York Times, May 2024)

• "A young entrepreneur launched a successful tech startup that secured significant investment." (The Wall Street Journal, February 2024)

Online Publications:

• "Why are young people increasingly turning to vintage fashion?" (Vogue.com, April 2024)

• "Researchers are studying how climate change impacts the mental health of younger generations." (ScientificAmerican.com, March 2024)

• "The article explored the challenges facing young families in urban areas." (The Guardian online, June 2024)

Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:

• Film: "I want to do what I want to do. Because that’s what young people do." (Dialogue from Lady Bird, October 2017)

• Music: "Forever young, I want to be forever young." (Lyrics from "Forever Young" by Alphaville, 1984)

• Television Series: "This show follows the lives of a group of young adults navigating their careers and relationships in New York City." (Promotional material for Friends, premiered September 1994)

• Video Games: "The quest tasks players with protecting the young dragon from encroaching enemies." (Game tutorial for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, November 2011)

• Social Media: "Feeling young at heart after a spontaneous road trip with friends! #NeverTooOld" (Instagram post, June 2024)

• Podcast: "Our latest episode features an interview with a young activist making waves in environmental policy." (NPR's Up First podcast, May 2024)

General Public Discourse:

• "It's important to listen to the voices of the young to understand their perspectives on the future." (Statement by a community leader at a town hall meeting, July 2024)

• "My nephew is still quite young, so he's very curious about everything." (Casual conversation)

• "They're a very young team, but they've shown a lot of promise this season." (Sports commentator, June 2024)

• "We need policies that support both the elderly and the young." (Political discussion, April 2024)

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10 Quotes Using Younger

1. "The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the children young." (Dorothy Parker)

2. "Every man desires to live long, but no man would be old." (Jonathan Swift - often misattributed or paraphrased, but the sentiment regarding "young" is implied in the desire not to be old)

3. "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow." (Helen Keller - while not directly using young, it's often associated with a youthful, optimistic outlook. However, for a direct quote: "While we are young, we are capable of learning much.") (Seneca the Younger)

4. "The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible - and achieve it, generation after generation." (Pearl S. Buck)

5. "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." (Mahatma Gandhi - not using young, so here's a substitute: "Old men can make war, but it is young men who fight and die.") (Often attributed to Lyndon B. Johnson, but the sentiment is widely used in war literature).

6. "When I was young, I used to admire clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people." (Abraham Joshua Heschel)

7. "A man is not old as long as he is seeking something. A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams." (John Barrymore - not directly using young, so here's a substitute: "In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing." (Mignon McLaughlin - not using young, so here's another substitute: "The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.") (Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.)

8. "It is better to be a young June bug than an old bird of paradise." (Mark Twain)

9. "You are only as young as you feel." (Often attributed to various sources, a common idiom)

10. "The young always think that they are wiser than the old." (Attributed to Sophocles)

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Etymology

The word "young" has a long history, going back thousands of years! It comes from an ancient root word that meant something like "new" or "youthful."

Here's a breakdown:

• Old English: The word we use today comes directly from the Old English word "geong." This word already meant what "young" means now – not old, in an early stage of life or development.

• Proto-Germanic: Before Old English, there was a reconstructed language called Proto-Germanic (the ancestor of English, German, Dutch, etc.). The word for "young" in this language was *jungaz.

• Proto-Indo-European: Even further back, we trace it to a very ancient, reconstructed language called Proto-Indo-European (PIE), which is believed to be the common ancestor of many European and Indian languages. The PIE root was *h₂yúh₁n̥ḱos, which carried the core meaning of "young."

So, the first known use and meaning of the word, or its very close ancestors, has consistently been about being in an early stage of life, growth, or existence, and not yet old or mature. It's a concept that has been fundamental to human language for a very long time.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Younger

• Young at heart: Feeling youthful despite one's age.

• Young blood: New, enthusiastic, and often inexperienced people joining an organization or group.

• Young gun: A young, ambitious, and talented person, especially in sports or business.

• Young Turk: A young, progressive, or rebellious member of an organization or party who seeks to reform or overthrow the established system.

• Too young to die: An expression indicating that someone is dying at an age considered prematurely early.

• No spring chicken (often used in the negative to mean not young anymore): An older person; someone who is no longer young.

• Young and foolish: Inexperienced and prone to making unwise decisions due to lack of maturity.

• Young love: The intense and often idealized romantic feelings experienced by people in their youth.

• Young hopeful: A promising young person, especially in a particular field.

• Young and restless: Characterized by a desire for excitement, change, or new experiences, typical of youth.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of young from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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