adolescent
/ˌædəˈlesnt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌædəˈlesnt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌa-də-ˈle-sᵊnt/ (ame, mw) · /ˌæd.əˈles.ənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌæd.əˈles.ənt/ (ame, ipa)
adolescent — noun
1. someone who is no longer a child but has not yet finished growing into an adult,
someone who is no longer a child but has not yet finished growing into an adult, usually between the ages of about 12 and 18.
Dr. Vesna runs a clinic that helps adolescents with anxiety and sleep problems.
plural countable: helps adolescents
Most adolescents need around nine hours of sleep each night.
general statement: most + adolescents
The library has a quiet room set aside for adolescents to study after school.
As an adolescent, Quinn was painfully shy around her classmates.
文法句型
a/an + adolescent
用法筆記
More formal than 'teenager'; common in medical, educational, or psychological writing where a precise life-stage label is needed.
常見錯誤
adolescent — adjective
1. connected with the years between childhood and adulthood, or with the people who
connected with the years between childhood and adulthood, or with the people who are at this stage of their lives.
Dr. Lopez specialises in adolescent mental health at the city hospital.
attributive: adolescent + noun (field name)
Skin problems are very common during the adolescent years.
adolescent years (time-period collocation)
The book describes the adolescent brain and how it changes between ages 12 and 18.
Zara has two adolescent sons who play in the school basketball team.
- adult
describing a fully grown person or stage
文法句型
adolescent + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun (adolescent boy, adolescent years, adolescent development); sounds odd after a linking verb such as 'be'.
常見錯誤
2. used in a critical way about a grown-up, or the way a grown-up acts, when they b
used in a critical way about a grown-up, or the way a grown-up acts, when they behave in a silly, immature manner more typical of a young teenager — for example, name-calling at work or refusing to admit a mistake.
His pranks at the office meeting were honestly adolescent.
predicative use after linking verb: be adolescent
Tariq rolled his eyes at the senator's adolescent insults.
adolescent + behaviour-noun (insults / jokes / humour)
Stop being so adolescent, Daniel — apologise to your sister and move on.
Their refusal to share the project files struck Hadiya as adolescent and petty.
文法句型
adolescent + behaviour-noun
be + adolescent
用法筆記
Always disapproving; used about adults whose behaviour fails to match their age. Often paired with words like 'silly', 'petty', or 'immature' to strengthen the criticism.