immature

/ˌɪməˈtjʊə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪməˈtʃʊr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌi-mə-ˈchu̇r -ˈtu̇r -ˈtyu̇r/ (ame, mw)

immature — adjective

  • immaturepositive
  • more immaturecomparative
  • most immaturesuperlative

1. showing a lack of emotional control or sensible judgment that adults are normall

1.形容詞B2
釋義

showing a lack of emotional control or sensible judgment that adults are normally expected to have

例句

Feng threw his controller across the room after losing the game — an immature reaction.

immature reaction: outburst when losing

The team leader called Kabir's comment immature and asked him to apologise.

同義詞
  • childish

    more direct and more negative than immature; suggests intentional foolishness

  • infantile

    much stronger and more insulting; suggests behaviour of a very young child or baby

  • juvenile

    slightly more formal; common in literary criticism or legal contexts

反義詞
  • mature

    direct opposite; behaving calmly and sensibly as adults should

  • grown-up

    informal alternative to 'mature', often used with children

用法筆記

Commonly used to criticise how someone reacts to disappointment or disagreement, especially when they show emotion instead of reasoning calmly.

常見錯誤

❌He is immature for his age' (when meaning physically small).
✅He is small for his age.
💡immature is about behaviour and emotional development, not physical size.

2. lacking the practical knowledge or skill that comes from having done something f

2.形容詞B2
釋義

lacking the practical knowledge or skill that comes from having done something for a long time

例句

Walid is still immature as a programmer — he writes code that works but is hard to read.

immature as a [role]: new to a profession

The company decided the candidate was too immature in sales to handle the key account.

同義詞
  • inexperienced

    neutral and straightforward; preferred in most professional contexts

  • green

    informal; describes someone who is new and has not yet developed skills

  • raw

    describes a beginner whose talent or skill is not yet refined

反義詞
  • experienced

    direct opposite; having done something long enough to be skilled

  • seasoned

    describes someone with long and varied experience in a field

用法筆記

This sense is usually followed by in or as to specify the area where experience is lacking (e.g. immature in sales, immature as a teacher). It is less common than sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌I am immature in this subject' (when you mean you lack knowledge).
✅I am inexperienced in this subject.
💡immature in this sense does fit, but inexperienced is more natural and avoids confusion with sense 1.

3. still in the early stages of growth and not yet reached its final or adult form

3.形容詞B1
釋義

still in the early stages of growth and not yet reached its final or adult form

例句

The immature apple trees in the garden produced only a handful of small fruits.

immature + [plant]: not fully grown biologically

Biologists studied the immature frogs to see how their legs develop before leaving the water.

同義詞
  • undeveloped

    focuses on the lack of full growth rather than the stage of growth itself

  • unripe

    specifically of fruit or crops that are not ready to eat

  • unformed

    describes something that has not yet taken its final shape

反義詞
  • mature

    fully grown or fully developed

  • ripe

    specifically of fruit ready to eat

  • fully developed

    explicitly describes complete growth

用法筆記

Can apply to living things (plants, animals, body parts) or to abstract things (systems, plans, technologies) that have not yet developed fully. The figurative use overlaps slightly with sense 2 but focuses on growth and development rather than experience.

常見錯誤

❌The baby is immature' (for a newborn).
✅The baby is premature' or 'The baby was born early.
💡immature describes an organism that has not finished growing; premature describes something that happens before the expected time.