whippersnapper
noun
whip·per·snap·per
ˈ(h)wi-pər-ˌsna-pər 
: a diminutive, insignificant, or presumptuous person
Synonyms
Examples of whippersnapper in a Sentence
some young whippersnapper piped up with a pointless comment
Recent Examples on the Web
Old fogeys and young whippersnappers put their knowledge of trivia to the test for a second season.
—
Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2023
The sensation is akin to being a still-fit grandpa that shows up to a family reunion that’s filled with young whippersnappers.
—Marco Della Cava, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2023
You little whippersnapper, Liz Feldman!
—Yvonne Villarrealstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2022
Not so fast there, whippersnapper.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 13 May 2022
That at least is the sentiment among some on Savile Row, where the hoodie years are giving way to a boom in suiting, according to Campbell Carey, the creative director of that whippersnapper tailoring firm Huntsman, founded in 1849.
—Guy Trebay, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2022
Brian Switek, one of the junior members of the science-blogging-whippersnapper brigade, has written a detailed look back at the saga of Darwinius, the primate fossil that held Mayor Bloomberg captive at a press conference.
—Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2010
Wilson was not the only whippersnapper onstage at TED on Wednesday.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2013
And there may be clams around cold seeps or on the Antarctic sea bottom that make Ming look like a whippersnapper.
—Steven N. Austad, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2022
Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2023
The sensation is akin to being a still-fit grandpa that shows up to a family reunion that’s filled with young whippersnappers.
—Marco Della Cava, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2023
You little whippersnapper, Liz Feldman!
—Yvonne Villarrealstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2022
Not so fast there, whippersnapper.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 13 May 2022
That at least is the sentiment among some on Savile Row, where the hoodie years are giving way to a boom in suiting, according to Campbell Carey, the creative director of that whippersnapper tailoring firm Huntsman, founded in 1849.
—Guy Trebay, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2022
Brian Switek, one of the junior members of the science-blogging-whippersnapper brigade, has written a detailed look back at the saga of Darwinius, the primate fossil that held Mayor Bloomberg captive at a press conference.
—Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2010
Wilson was not the only whippersnapper onstage at TED on Wednesday.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2013
And there may be clams around cold seeps or on the Antarctic sea bottom that make Ming look like a whippersnapper.
—Steven N. Austad, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whippersnapper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Whippersnapper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whippersnapper. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whippersnapper
noun
whip·per·snap·per
ˈhwip-ər-ˌsnap-ər
ˈwip-
: a small, unimportant, or overly confident person
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