youth
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the time of your life when you are young, usually between being a child and a full adult.
the period between childhood and maturity. Uncountable in this sense.
Simple“In her youth, she traveled across Europe with just a backpack.”
In context“He often looked back on his youth with a mixture of nostalgia and regret, wishing he had pursued his musical talents more seriously.”
SynonymsAntonymsadulthoodold age - 02 B1 Intermediate
young people as a group in society.
young people considered as a collective group. Often takes a plural verb.
Simple“The local government is investing more money in services for the youth.”
In context“The youth of today face unique challenges regarding digital privacy that previous generations never had to consider.”
SynonymsAntonymsthe elderly - 03 B1 Intermediate
a young person, especially a teenage boy or young man.
a young person, particularly a male adolescent or young man.
Simple“A group of youths was seen hanging out near the park entrance.”
In context“The witness described seeing a tall youth in a dark hoodie running away from the scene shortly after the alarm sounded.”
Synonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
the fresh or energetic feeling of being young.
the state or quality of being young, especially regarding vigor, freshness, or appearance.
Simple“Regular exercise helped him maintain his youth well into his sixties.”
In context“The portrait captured the fleeting youth of the subject, emphasizing the brightness in her eyes and the smoothness of her skin.”
Usage youth unemployment · youth development · youth mental
From Middle English youthe, youghte, ȝouþe, from Old English ġeoguþ (“the state of being young; youth”), from Proto-West Germanic juwunþa, from Proto-Germanic jugunþō, *jugunþiz (“youth”), corresponding to young + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Juugd, West Frisian jeugd, Dutch jeugd, German Low German Jöögd, German Jugend.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.