whippersnapper

/ˈwɪpəsnæpə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɪpərsnæpər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈ(h)wi-pər-ˌsna-pər How to pronounce whippersnapper (audio)/ (ame, mw)

whippersnapper — noun

  • whippersnappersingular
  • whippersnappersplural

1. a humorous, old-fashioned label for someone young who talks or acts with irritat

1.名詞C1
釋義

a humorous, old-fashioned label for someone young who talks or acts with irritating confidence, as if they are wiser than the older people around them.

例句

The colonel snorted and called the young reporter a whippersnapper with no real experience.

call someone a whippersnapper

Ayana's uncle laughed at the whippersnapper trying to tell him how to run his farm.

同義詞
  • upstart

    more negative and serious — implies the person has risen too quickly and behaves arrogantly in a new role

  • young pup

    equally informal and old-fashioned, often affectionate rather than dismissive

反義詞
  • elder

    a person who is older and deserves respect — the opposite social role

  • sage

    a wise person whose judgment is trusted, contrasting with the whippersnapper's untested confidence

文法句型

a + [adjective] + whippersnapper

dismiss/call someone a whippersnapper

用法筆記

Commonly used by an older speaker addressing or referring to a younger person. The tone is teasing or dismissive rather than genuinely angry. Not usually directed at children — it typically describes teenagers or young adults.

常見錯誤

❌The judge gave the whippersnapper a harsh sentence.
✅The judge gave the young offender a harsh sentence.
💡'whippersnapper' is too informal and humorous for a courtroom context.
❌My five-year-old is such a whippersnapper.
✅My five-year-old is such a cheeky little kid.
💡'whippersnapper' is not typically used for young children.