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.
Both Sierra and Josephine tell the BBC they plan to become doctors when they grow up but will never give up their passion for dance.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“I didn’t grow up with AI,” Smith said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Born and raised in Miami, Stillz didn’t grow up around art, “just paintings of Jesus Christ.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
When you grow up in Singapore, optimization is a way of life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Maximilian will not grow up around other children at all. He’ll have whatnots.”
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
