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

Derived 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

“The luxury market has been a bright spot in today’s housing market, and additional wealth generated through IPOs could further highlight the growing divide in the ‘K-shaped’ housing market,” she said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 13, 2026

Similarly, downtown has accounted for a growing share of overall exits from the region in the last five years.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026

"It's a unique dynamic of players growing up all over the world but coming back to represent Bosnia," says former Bosnia goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

HEAF: Digital commerce is growing for everybody else, but not for us.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

‘Good,’ I said, putting my head on her shoulder, and we sat together in the growing darkness.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Related Words

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