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

SpaceX is growing fast, but is expected to generate only a fraction of that number this year.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

While it sounds like a gross breach of corporate etiquette, organizers are seeing growing demand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Other studies also point to the growing importance of soil moisture and groundwater.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

The government has a key target to be the fastest growing economy in the G7 by the end of this parliament.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

I felt as if we were two small trees standing beside each other, leaning towards each other, our branches and twigs starting to entwine, bonded by our secret and by our growing friendship.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Related Words

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