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

Additionally, Intel’s position as the only leading-edge chip manufacturer in the U.S. has highlighted its strategic importance amid growing geopolitical tensions, Licapis noted.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 25, 2026

Concerns were growing over City's over-reliance on Haaland for goals, so the manager looked to get both Foden and Reijnders in attacking positions while retaining defensive balance.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

In June 2022, inflation was soaring, and the sentiment reading hit what at that point was its lowest reading on record—but consumer spending kept growing, and the U.S. kept adding jobs at a rapid clip.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

If the supply side of the economy is growing because of AI, cutting rates to stimulate demand “doesn’t make any sense,” he says.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Sleep came just as the sky was growing light.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

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