grow
verb (used without object)
to increase by natural development, as any living organism or part by assimilation of nutriment; increase in size or substance.
grow
1 American
[groh]
/ groʊ /
verb (used without object)
-
grows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grew,
past
-
grown,
past participle
-
growing
present participle
-
to increase by natural development, as any living organism or part by assimilation of nutriment; increase in size or substance.
- Antonyms:
- decrease
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to form and increase in size by a process of inorganic accretion, as by crystallization.
-
to arise or issue as a natural development from an original happening, circumstance, or source.
Our friendship grew from common interests.
- Synonyms:
- originate
-
to increase gradually in size, amount, etc.; become greater or larger; expand.
His influence has grown.
- Synonyms:
- wax
- Antonyms:
- wane
-
to become gradually attached or united by or as if by growth.
The branches of the trees grew together, forming a natural arch.
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to come to be by degrees; become.
to grow old.
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Nautical. to lie or extend in a certain direction, as an anchor cable.
verb (used with object)
-
grows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grew,
past
-
grown,
past participle
-
growing
present participle
verb phrase
-
grow on / upon
-
to increase in influence or effect.
An uneasy feeling grew upon him as he went through the old house.
-
to become gradually more liked or accepted by.
a village by the sea that grows on one.
-
-
grow out of
-
to become too large or mature for; outgrow.
He has grown out of all his clothes.
-
to originate in; develop from.
The plan grew out of a casual conversation.
-
-
grow up
-
to be or become fully grown; attain mental or physical maturity.
-
to come into existence; arise.
New cities grew up in the desert.
-
-
grow into
-
to become large enough for.
He'll grow into his brother's suits before long.
-
to become mature or experienced enough for.
She grew into the job, although she wasn't qualified for it at first.
-
idioms
Grow
2
American
[groh]
/ groʊ /
noun
grow
British
/ ɡrəʊ /
verb
-
(of an organism or part of an organism) to increase in size or develop (hair, leaves, or other structures)
-
(intr; usually foll by out of or from) to originate, as from an initial cause or source
the federation grew out of the Empire
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(intr) to increase in size, number, degree, etc
the population is growing rapidly
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(intr) to change in length or amount in a specified direction
some plants grow downwards
profits over the years grew downwards
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(copula; may take an infinitive) (esp of emotions, physical states, etc) to develop or come into existence or being gradually
to grow cold
to grow morose
he grew to like her
-
to come into existence
a close friendship grew up between them
-
to be joined gradually by or as by growth
the branches on the tree grew together
-
(intr; foll by away, together, etc) to develop a specified state of friendship
the lovers grew together gradually
many friends grow apart over the years
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to become covered with a growth
the path grew with weeds
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to produce (plants) by controlling or encouraging their growth, esp for home consumption or on a commercial basis
grow
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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growsimple
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growssimple
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have grownperfect
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has grownperfect
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am growingprogressive
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are growingprogressive
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is growingprogressive
-
have been growingperfect progressive
-
has been growingperfect progressive
Past
-
grewsimple
-
had grownperfect
-
was growingprogressive
-
were growingprogressive
-
had been growingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of grow
First recorded before 900; Middle English growen, Old English grōwan; cognate with Dutch groeien, Old High German grouwan, Old Norse grōa
Explanation
To grow is to become larger, stronger, or more mature. A tiny seed grows into a leafy plant or a giant tree; babies grow and become adults and as they do, their knowledge of the world grows too! The verb grow describes something becoming greater than it once was. Living things start small and grow into adults, like kittens growing into cats and cubs growing into bears. But growing isn't limited to physical changes: Someone's knowledge can grow over time, and people can grow emotionally, becoming more positive, confident, and caring. When anything, living or not, becomes more, it grows — like the intensity of sunlight growing after dawn or a small business growing into a huge global success.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He lost years of freedom, along with the opportunity to watch his son grow up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
As AI models grow more sophisticated, the need for additional authoritative data on which to train them has become more urgent—even as the supply of undigested, commercially available writing dwindles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
As it approaches its peak by the end of 2026, its influence around the world will grow with effects spreading across the globe.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
"This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again," the US president wrote.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
They were lucky they could grow their own food.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Campaigners have called on City Hall to introduce a London-wide "Right to Grow" framework to help communities turn unused public land into food gardens.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The list of challengers includes Colter Carlisle, vice president of the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council, Dylan Kendall, who runs Grow Hollywood, and Rich Sarian, vice president of strategic initiatives for downtown’s South Park Social District.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026
In 1858, Rep. Galusha Grow of Pennsylvania knocked down Brooks’s friend Laurence Keitt of South Carolina, prompting a melee that drew in some 30 members of the House.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Breaking out its revenue, Unity said it expects its Grow unit, which offers monetization and user acquisition tools, to bring in $352 million.
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
Grow up in Detroit and you understand the way of all things.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
As demand grows for AI tools, Daryanani said Apple could find more ways to monetize on that in the future.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
The firm shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots last year as demand for the technology grows.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
As interest in Samoyeds grows, Swifties are agog: “Cat lady” Taylor Swift, it seems, has become a dog mom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
High-rise senior housing makes increasing sense in urban settings as land costs rise and the number of people who need it grows, said architect Soo Im of Gensler, the firm designing Viva.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Suddenly my hand reaches out on its own and with a twirl of my fingers, Dylan’s sprout grows and blooms with petals of sparkling clear glass.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
"I grew up not thinking that I was different to anyone until I did reach my teenage years, when it did affect me immensely."
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Hinton played for St. John Bosco the last two seasons until returning to Las Vegas, the city he grew up in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Among people who spoke four languages, the difference grew to roughly 13 years.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
San Diego’s population, in contrast, grew from 16,000 to 1.4 million between 1890 and 2025, which was a 8,600% jump, while Los Angeles’s population grew by about 7,500%.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
“You told me what happened with you two and how you grew apart. I didn’t realize he was Black,” Dad says.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday urged consumers not to eat alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Launched as a coffee cart in Brooklyn in 2020 by former tech entrepreneurs Vinay Menda and Issam Freiha, the venture capital-backed cafe chain has since grown to nearly 100 locations around the world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
As tech has grown as an overwhelming force in our lives, the visual design cornerstones associated with it—arial font, minimalist branding, bright colors and clean lines—have become the norm.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
“We’ve significantly improved the bank’s profitability, grown our retail presence across the country…and expanded our commercial banking capabilities,” the bank’s statement said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Leah reported that the bed, with Calvin still in it, broke apart, “the head-board in one place, the foot-board in another …” How quickly these spirits had grown out of control.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
But by early 2020, growing tensions surfaced, with the pair quitting the UK and as working royals.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
At her last job, she said her workload kept growing and she had to work longer and longer hours, but her salary stayed the same.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
The discovery, made by an international team that included Penn State researchers, adds to a growing challenge for theories about how the first galaxies formed and evolved.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
A growing number of primary care doctors say they are finding a way back to an unhurried model of patient care.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
His approval of my skill set — and telling me it was valuable to his success — was enough for me to shove the growing list of worries to the back of my mind.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
