precocious

adjective

pri-ˈkō-shəs How to pronounce precocious (audio)
Definition of precociousnext
as in early
occurring before the usual or expected time a precocious baldness makes him look older than he really is

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of precocious His character in that film had a gawky teen-age bravado, a precocious man-of-the-world assurance. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 24 July 2026 Coupled with the pair’s extensive collection of antique furniture, the result is a shockingly precocious home, one that is mature beyond its years. — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 20 July 2026 His career began with a YouTube series Armitage first turned heads with his YouTube series, Iain Loves Theatre, in which the precocious child reviewed Broadway and other musical productions. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026 The Reting Rinpoche dispatched a search team of high lamas, who soon heard about a precocious 2-year-old who enjoyed larking inside chicken coops but also frequently spoke yearningly about making a long journey to Lhasa. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for precocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precocious
  1. early
  2. premature
  3. unexpected
  4. sudden
  5. untimely
Adjective
  • The restaurant is named for American artist John Singer Sargent, a painter who specialized in portraits and landscapes during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
    — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, one of Disney’s earliest characters who predated Mickey Mouse, is back for the 21st century.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of early
Adjective
  • But the 9th Circuit said Section 230 provides a defense to liability, ​not immunity from lawsuits, so the appeal was premature.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Nobody should be surprised at the premature arrival of grape harvest 2026, especially in the warmer inland areas.
    — Laura Ness, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of premature
Adjective
  • Few inside and outside the Bernabeu doubt Mourinho will blow up at some point — most likely when his team suffer an unexpected defeat or are victims of a controversial refereeing decision.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For now, Mike and I are enjoying these unexpected bonus days.
    — Kim Clark, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of unexpected
Adjective
  • The sudden loss of mass means the strength of the primary star’s gravity drops suddenly, causing the secondary companion to get flung out into space at dizzying speeds.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But the sudden reversal in many of its biggest stock bets, compounded by losses on the other side of its portfolio and the use of leverage, quickly turned into a liquidity crunch.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sudden
Adjective
  • In the years that have followed Monroe’s untimely death, her home has changed hands several times.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Tom Holland and Zendaya buried any rumblings of cinema’s untimely demise under $360 million this weekend by leading two massive films to unprecedented success at the box office.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of untimely

Browse Nearby Words

precocial
precocious
precociously
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Cite this Entry

“Precocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precocious. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on precocious

Nglish: Translation of precocious for Spanish Speakers

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