Immature describesgives details about what a person, place, or thing is like something that is not fully developed, not fully grown, or not emotionallyin ways connected to feelings and inner responses or socially mature. It can refer to birds, fruit, people, or behavior, depending on the contextthe surrounding words or situation that affect meaning.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˌɪməˈtʃʊr/
Easy pronunciation: ih-muh-CHUR (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the last syllable: chure.
Used in the sense of lacking maturity; not emotionally grown up.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Immature Meaning
Childish or not emotionally grown up.
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Characteristic of a lack of maturity; not acting or thinking like a mature person.
Example: His immature behavior made the meeting awkward.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- mature — This is the antonym, not a synonym, so it should not be used as a substitute.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Immature
Meaning 2
A bird that is still young and not fully feathered.
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: (of birds) not yet having developed feathers
Example: The immature bird stayed close to the nest.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- unfledged — Direct synonym for young birds that have not developed feathers.
Meaning 3
Young or still developing.
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
Example: Insects are especially vulnerable in their immature stages.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- young — Works well for age or early development.
Meaning 4
Not fully grown or ready to eat.
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: not fully developed or mature; not ripe
Example: The bananas were still immature when they were picked.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- green — Can mean unripe, especially for fruit or crops.
- unripe — Common substitute for fruit or crops that are not ready.
- unripened — Less common, but fits fruit or other produce that has not ripened yet.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Immature Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- unfledged
- young
- unripe
Not yet feathered or fully developed in a bird
- unfledged
In an early stage of life or growth
- young
Not ripe or fully developed as fruit or produce
- green
- unripe
- unripened
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not use immature to mean only 'young' when the context is about emotional behavior.
- Do not confuse immature fruit with immature behavior; they are different senses.
- Green can mean unripe, but it does not usually mean emotionally immature.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does immature mean?
Immature means not fully developed, not fully grown, or not emotionally mature, depending on the context.
What is a simple synonym for immature?
For behavior, a simple synonym is childish. For fruit, a better synonym is unripe.
Is immature the same as young?
Sometimes, but not always. Young can describe age, while immature can also mean not fully developed or not emotionally mature.
What is the opposite of immature?
Mature is the opposite of immature.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.