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
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to increase gradually in size, amount, etc.; become greater or larger; expand.
His influence has grown.
- Synonyms:
- wax
- Antonyms:
- wane
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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.
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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.
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to become mature or experienced enough for.
She grew into the job, although she wasn't qualified for it at first.
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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
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to come into existence
a close friendship grew up between them
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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
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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:
Thomas Malthus promulgated the theory that population would grow at a faster rate than the means to support that population could, and so there would have to be ways to reduce population in unpleasant ways.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
She says it has helped her grow in confidence, gain real-life experience while studying, and get mentoring.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The company also plans to invest more in local international content to help grow the Disney+ service around the world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
IonQ, Quantinuum, and other notable names in the quantum sector have reported earnings, which broadly showed that traction continues to grow.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
You can’t grow all the way if you don’t have a whole name.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
City Hall did not confirm whether they would draw up a Right to Grow framework.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“In the 14th century A.D., a Moroccan explorer named Ibn Battuta documented that a buttery variation of khichuri was eaten daily in South Asia,” wrote Rachael Grow for Mashed.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 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
Dylan Kendall, 56, runs Grow Hollywood, a startup economic development corporation.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
Then he said, “Slim it, Greenie. Grow up and start thinkin’.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
The visit comes as scrutiny grows over conditions aboard the carrier, which left San Diego in November and has now been deployed for more than 260 days.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
As people around the world live longer and the proportion of older adults grows, age-related conditions such as dementia are becoming increasingly common.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Even so, as the line between investing and gambling grows increasingly blurry, it’s understandable that some consumers might get confused.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Bosco Ortega, 12, wants to be an astronaut when he grows up but has until now lived in Cairo, where the light pollution means few stars can be seen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
She soon grows to her normal hulking size.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Real gross domestic product grew 0.3% during the April-June period from the previous quarter, according to preliminary government data released Monday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
As her connections grew, she found she could draw on them to hire and expand Scale AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
During the day, shoppers had to queue up for bag searches - a custom that Ervine grew up believing was the norm.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Rodriguez grew up in St. Amant, La., and was focused on volleyball from a young age before playing the sport in high school and at Louisiana State.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
They grew into a nationwide reckoning, unlike anything we had seen in over a decade.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
A former military test pilot turned space cop, Jordan knows he’s good at his job and has grown used to doing things his way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
He has since grown his collection from that Lumina—once his grandfather’s car—to three more 1990s Chevy Luminas, three Impalas, a 1999 Monte Carlo and a few Pontiacs, among others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Although reporting on incidents has grown, the feeling in the sport is that there are more fatalities now as speeds increase.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
But as inequality has supercharged the gap between workers with the highest and lowest incomes, wages above the cap have grown much faster than those under the cap, Romig noted.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Not that much,” he said, “but I’ve grown an inch since winter break.”
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
The outbreak was already the fastest growing on record, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said last week, warning that "the epidemic is killing someone every 30 minutes".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Those obligations are growing faster than traditional “capex,” which totaled about $600 billion over the past year they reported, and were about triple what the companies owe under their outstanding leases and long-term borrowings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Families have reported food shortages, problems with drinking water, broken showers and laundry facilities and growing psychological strain among the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Heart failure is a serious and growing health problem.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
And so I settled in behind Betsie’s table, writing down sales and repair charges, recording cash spent for parts and supplies, and leafing through past records in growing disbelief.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
