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

Overcoming what felt like constant production problems and growing pains, the company sold enough of the cars in the first quarter of 2013 to eke out a slim profit.

From The Wall Street Journal

All the research conducted thus far has been carried out in good faith, he said, adding that these are relatively normal growing pains for a new scientific field.

From Barron's

Ms. Hillgrove, now 79 years old, came of age at a time when America itself was having growing pains.

From The Wall Street Journal

He also said the delays had been the result of "severe growing pains".

From BBC

It’s important to point out that these aren’t temporary growing pains.

From MarketWatch