growing

American  

[groh-ing] / ˈgroʊ ɪŋ /

adjective

1. becoming greater in quantity, size, extent, or intensity.

   growing discontent among industrial workers.

2. having or showing life.

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Other Word Forms

• growingly
  adverb
• ungrowing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of growing

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English growende. See grow, -ing ²

Explanation

A growing thing (or person) is in the process of developing, often by getting bigger. You can argue for a second helping of cake by saying, "I'm a growing kid!" Your puppy is a growing animal, changing and developing into an adult dog, and your cactus is a growing plant, even if the only evidence of that growth is one pink bloom each year. You can also use this adjective for things that increase, like your growing bank account or your growing interest in woodworking. As a noun, growing means the biological process of change and development itself: "Growing isn't always easy, but we all have to do it."

Example Sentences

Part of the growing trend is that people were living longer and that the state pension age had risen, according to Barry.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

In that sense, things are moving in Visa’s favor, he said, “but Mastercard is faster growing, and the pendulum could swing back.”

From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026

But with water costs rising and climate change jeopardizing these distant sources, there is growing interest in finding ways to get more water locally.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026

The only thing growing faster than the artificial-intelligence industry may be Americans’ negative feelings about it.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

From the incredible acts of a brave young woman to a determination I can feel growing inside me to pick up the mantle she’s left behind.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Related Words

• burgeoning
• developing
• expanding
• flourishing
• spreading
• thriving
• viable