growing pains

American  

plural noun

1. dull, quasi-rheumatic pains of varying degree in the limbs during childhood and adolescence, often popularly associated with the process of growing.

2. emotional difficulties experienced during adolescence and preadulthood.

3. difficulties attending any new project or any rapid development of an existing project.

   a city plagued with growing pains.

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growing pains British  

plural noun

1. pains in muscles or joints sometimes experienced by children during a period of unusually rapid growth

2. difficulties besetting a new enterprise in its early stages

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growing pains Idioms  

1. Problems that arise in beginning or enlarging an enterprise, as in The company is undergoing growing pains but should be viable by next year. This expression, which dates from the late 1800s, originally referred to the joint and limb aches experienced by youngsters who are growing rapidly. By about 1900 it was being used figuratively.

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Usage

What does growing pains mean? Originally a reference to the physical pains many children experience when going through a growth spurt, growing pains has come to refer to the hardships experienced at the early stages of some endeavor. The term is frequently used to describe the struggles found in transitioning from an adolescent to an adult, from an amateur to a professional, or the creation or expansion of a business. How is growing pains pronounced?[ groh-ing peynz ]

Etymology

Origin of growing pains

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

The sharp drop in oil costs soothed growing concerns that soaring inflation could force central banks to begin hiking interest rates again.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

Critics, however, see a different picture — one that places expensive celebrations and headline-grabbing spectacles alongside growing concerns about affordability, household budgets and the day-to-day economic pressures facing many Americans.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026

Ueda’s absence is unlikely to significantly change the bank’s rate decision, as policymakers, including the governor himself, have voiced growing concerns that higher oil prices triggered by the Middle East conflict will accelerate underlying inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Prediction markets face growing concerns around insider trading as they continue to surge in popularity.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Over the past eight weeks, Fed officials have become nearly unanimous in their growing concerns about rising inflation.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026