People sometimes refer to a young man as a stripling when they want to indicate in a slightly humorous way that although he is no longer a boy, he is not yet really a man.
[old-fashioned]
...a stripling of 20.
Synonyms: boy, youth, lad, youngster More Synonyms of stripling
stripling in British English
(ˈstrɪplɪŋ)
noun
a lad
Word origin
C13: from strip2 + -ling1
lad in British English
(læd)
noun
1.
a boy or young man
2. informal
a familiar form of address for any male
3.
a lively or dashing man or youth (esp in the phrase a bit of a lad)
4.
a young man whose behaviour is characteristic of male adolescents, esp in being rowdy, macho, or immature
5. British
a boy or man who looks after horses
stripling in American English
(ˈstrɪplɪŋ)
noun
a grown boy; youth passing into manhood
Word origin
ME strypling, lit., one slim as a strip
Examples of 'stripling' in a sentence
stripling
What did you think, that I'd go blundering into Powys like some green stripling ?
Penman, Sharon HERE BE DRAGONS (2004)
Yes, he remembered picking up Abasio as a stripling youth at a battery and weapons warehouse.
Tepper, Sheri S. A PLAGUE OF ANGELS (2004)
I saw the thing clearly, hanging about the stripling 's neck.
Julian May IRONCROWN MOON: PART TWO OF THE BOREAL MOON TALE (2004)
(noun)
Definition
a teenage boy or young man
a stripling of 20
Synonyms
boy
I knew him when he was just a little boy.
youth
gangs of youths who broke windows and looted shops
lad
a lad of his age
youngster
Other youngsters are not so lucky.
adolescent
Adolescents are happiest with small groups of close friends.
fledgling
shaver (informal)
young fellow
hobbledehoy (archaic)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of adolescent
Definition
an adolescent person
Adolescents are happiest with small groups of close friends.
Synonyms
teenager,
girl,
boy,
kid (informal),
youth,
lad,
minor,
young man,
youngster,
young woman,
juvenile,
young person,
lass,
young adult
in the sense of lad
Definition
a boy or young man
a lad of his age
Synonyms
boy,
kid (informal),
guy (informal),
youth,
fellow (old-fashioned),
youngster,
chap (informal),
juvenile,
shaver (informal),
nipper (informal),
laddie (Scottish),
stripling
in the sense of youngster
Definition
a young person
Other youngsters are not so lucky.
Synonyms
youth,
girl,
boy,
kid (informal),
lad,
teenager,
juvenile,
cub,
young person,
lass,
young adult,
pup (informal, British),
urchin,
teenybopper (slang),
young shaver (informal),
young 'un (informal)
Nearby words of
stripling
strip
stripe
striped
stripling
stripy
strive
stroke
Synonyms of 'stripling'
stripling
Explore 'stripling' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of youth
Definition
Journalists often refer to young men as youths, especially when they are reporting that the young men have caused trouble.
gangs of youths who broke windows and looted shops