grow up
Britishverb
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to reach maturity; become adult
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to come into existence; develop
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Become an adult, as in Sam wants to be a policeman when he grows up . [First half of 1500s]
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Come into existence, arise, as in Similar social problems grew up in all the big cities . [Late 1500s]
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Become mature or sensible, as in It's time you grew up and faced the facts . This usage may also be in the form of an imperative (as in Don't bite your nails—grow up! ) [Mid-1900s]
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.
The owner says she wants future generations of female players to enjoy opportunities equal to those available to boys, regardless of where they grow up.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
“One day he’ll grow up, or maybe not.”
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The league has, lately, started to grow up in public.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
Now, I wish I could tell them that our house was wonderful and a great place to grow up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
“Eonni,” Jinjoo said as they walked the empty road, “when I grow up, I want to move to America.”
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
