youngster

youngster — noun

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

1.nounB1
Definition

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.

Example

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]

Common collocations
  • a lively youngster
  • an enthusiastic youngster
  • a talented youngster
  • a local youngster
  • youngsters of all ages
  • group of youngsters
  • teach youngsters
  • help youngsters
  • encourage youngsters
Synonyms
  • 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

Antonyms
  • adult

    The neutral opposite in terms of age

  • elder

    Formal opposite, especially in traditional or community contexts

Grammar Patterns

youngster + verb (singular/plural)

a/an + adjective + youngster

Usage Note

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).

Common Mistakes

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.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe a young person, but they differ in age range, register, and connotation. Youngster is informal and usually covers older children and teenagers (roughly 8–18); it often carries a warm, approving tone. Kid is the most common informal word and spans a wider age range, from young children to almost-adults. Teenager is neutral and strictly refers to ages 13–19. Youth can be slightly formal or literary and may refer to a broader range (mid-teens to early twenties); it is also used collectively ('the youth of today'). Adolescent is the most formal and technical, focusing on the developmental period between childhood and adulthood. For everyday conversation about a 14-year-old, youngster or kid works best. In a school report, teenager or adolescent is more appropriate. In a newspaper headline, youth may sound more serious.

youngster ↗kid ↗teenager ↗youth ↗adolescent ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • group of youngsters
  • team of youngsters
  • programme for youngsters

Phrases

  • youngsters of all ages

Prepositions

  • among youngsters

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed in English from the adjective 'young' plus the suffix '-ster', which originally meant 'a person who does or deals with something'. The '-ster' suffix (from Old English '-estre', a feminine agent suffix) appears in other words such as 'songster' and 'gangster'. First recorded in English around the late 16th century, 'youngster' originally referred to a young person of either sex.