teens

teens — noun

1. the stage of life that spans the ages from thirteen to nineteen, often a time of

1.nounA2
Definition

the stage of life that spans the ages from thirteen to nineteen, often a time of personal growth and change

Example

Heloísa spent most of her teens living in a small fishing village.

spend + one's teens + V-ing

During his teens, Andrew taught himself to play the guitar by watching online lessons.

Common collocations
  • in one's teens
  • during one's teens
  • throughout one's teens
  • spend one's teens
  • early teens
  • late teens
  • mid-teens
Synonyms
  • adolescence

    more formal and biological; can start earlier and end later than the teens

  • youth

    broader term that can extend into the twenties

  • teenage years

    more explicit and slightly more formal than teens

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

one's teens

in/during one's teens

spend + one's teens + V-ing

Usage Note

Always used in the plural form. Unlike teenager (which refers to a person), teens refers to the time period itself.

Common Mistakes

I met her in my teenage.
I met her in my teens.
teenage is an adjective, not a noun for the period.
He is in his teen.
He is in his teens.
always use the plural form teens.

2. temperatures that measure between thirteen and nineteen degrees, used especially

2.nounB1
Definition

temperatures that measure between thirteen and nineteen degrees, used especially in weather reports to describe cool or cold conditions

Example

The weather report said temperatures would stay in the teens this weekend.

in the teens (temperature)

Even in April, the temperature in Sapporo rarely rises above the teens at night.

Common collocations
  • in the teens
  • stay in the teens
  • reach the teens
  • drop to the teens
  • above the teens

Grammar Patterns

in the teens

reach the teens

drop to the teens

Usage Note

Used only in the plural form with the definite article. Typically appears in weather forecasts and temperature descriptions on the Celsius or Fahrenheit scale.

Common Mistakes

The temperature fell to teen degrees.
The temperature fell to the teens.
do not use teen as an adjective for temperature.

3. the years from eleven to nineteen within a particular century, such as 1911 to 1

3.nounB1
Definition

the years from eleven to nineteen within a particular century, such as 1911 to 1919 or 2011 to 2019

Example

Dancing styles changed quickly in the teens of the twentieth century.

the teens of + century

Zayd's grandfather was born in the teens of the last century.

Common collocations
  • the teens of the century
  • the teens of the 1900s
  • in the teens

Grammar Patterns

the teens of + century

in the teens

Usage Note

Always preceded by the and followed by of + century. Most commonly used for the 1910s or the 2010s.

Common Mistakes

This building was constructed in teens of 1900s.
This building was constructed in the teens of the twentieth century.
always include the definite article the.

4. the whole numbers from thirteen up to and including nineteen, considered as a gr

4.nounA2
Definition

the whole numbers from thirteen up to and including nineteen, considered as a group

Example

Children learning to count in English often find the teens the hardest numbers to remember.

Anjali's little brother can count to twelve but gets mixed up with the teens.

Common collocations
  • the teens
  • count the teens
  • learn the teens
  • numbers in the teens
Synonyms
  • teen numbers

    a more explicit alternative used especially in teaching

Grammar Patterns

the teens

count the teens

learn the teens

Usage Note

Used with the definite article when referring to the numbers as a set. This sense is most common in educational contexts about learning English numbers.

Common Mistakes

Ten is one of the teens.
Ten is not in the teens
the teens are thirteen through nineteen.' — ten does not end in -teen.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Teens refers precisely to the ages 13–19, making it the most specific term for this life stage. Adolescence is a broader biological and psychological term that covers the transition from childhood to adulthood; it can begin around age 10 and continue into the early twenties. Youth is the broadest of the three, often extending into the twenties and sometimes the thirties, and it can carry a positive or idealistic tone. Teenage years is a more formal and explicit alternative to teens, preferred in academic writing or careful speech. For example: 'Her adolescence was a time of rapid physical change, but her teens were when she found her love for music.' 'The energy of youth is often directed toward exploring new ideas.'

teens ↗adolescenceyouth ↗teenage years

Common collocations

Phrases

  • in one's early teens
  • in one's late teens
  • in one's mid-teens

Prepositions

  • in (in one's teens / in the teens)
  • during (during one's teens)
  • through (through one's teens)

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Teens comes from the suffix -teen, which appears in the English numbers thirteen through nineteen. This suffix developed from Old English tīene, a form of tīen meaning 'ten'. The use of teens to refer to the ages 13–19 emerged in the late 1600s. Before that, the word teen on its own sometimes referred to the decade from ten to nineteen. The temperature sense and the decade-year sense later developed from the same numerical association.