Phrase guide

youth is wasted on the young

phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌjuːθ‿ɪz ˈweɪstɪd‿ɒn ðə ˈjʌŋ/
  • General-American: /ˌjuθ‿ɪz ˈweɪstɪd‿ɑn ðə ˈjʌŋ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌŋ

1

phrase

Meaning 1

Young people often fail to fully appreciate or utilize the vitality and opportunities that come with youth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Origin uncertain. The phrase is often attributed to the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) (see, for example, the 1943 and 1979 quotations), but does not appear to be from any of his published works. It is sometimes also said to be by other people such as the American writer Mark Twain (1835–1910) and the Irish playwright and poet Oscar Wilde (1854–1900): see the 1937 and 2006 quotations.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: nuoruus menee hukkaan nuorissa — the young fail to appreciate or make good use of what they experience
  • French: si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait — the young fail to appreciate or make good use of what they experience