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
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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
-
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:
While it still has only a handful of commercial vineyards, along with smaller growers experimenting with wine production, the amount of land being planted with vineyards is continuing to grow.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
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
Co-author Associate Professor Maarten Immink says the findings point to a wider change in the way the body manages movement as people grow older.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
They eat crustaceans, birds and fish and grow to be up to about four feet long and 32 pounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
In the next moon, the Blackthorn Moon, the red eye would appear; and the power of the bear would grow stronger.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The Grow Group Inc. chlorine cloud was one of the incidents that prompted L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
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
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
Excluding contributions from ironSource and Supersonic, revenue within Unity’s Grow unit rose 48% last quarter, “double the growth rate of the comparable metric inclusive of the two units.”
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
Her wish blossomed as she sang the spell and made her request: Grow deep roots and protect us all from evil as we sleep.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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
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
As this bubble grows, it sweeps outward and destroys dust in its path.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 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
I try out the word, and her smile grows as big as her face can fit.
From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman
On an annualized basis, the economy grew 1.1% in the second quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He grew up here and attended the University of Kentucky, but when he married and started raising a family, he had to drive 90 minutes to Cincinnati for work at Procter & Gamble.
From The Wall Street Journal ● 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
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
The warm sun beat down on the motionless train, the temperature in the packed car rose, the air grew foul.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
And each year, it has only grown bigger, with fans dressing up in their favorite Laufey-themed vintage fashions to celebrate the unofficial holiday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The population has grown, much as Malthus envisioned, but the means to support that population has grown faster.
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 said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The eastern-most port of the Erie Canal, Albany had grown to about fifty thousand residents.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
It also took a controlling stake in a Chinese beauty brand Flower Knows, which has a growing presence overseas, including in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The incident is the latest in a string of museum heists across Europe that have led to a growing number of priceless works disappearing from public view.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 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
But growing evidence suggests that when these dormant viruses become active again, they may play a role in autoimmune diseases and other long-lasting health conditions.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Within seconds, Edmonds and the other séance attendees started to experience the growing powers of the two original spirit mediums.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
