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

As childbearing shifts toward women 30 and older, the U.S. is moving further below the level needed to keep growing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

But with war risks seemingly on the wane, and corporate America growing profits at a double-digit pace, investors are seeing few reasons to miss out on the market’s springtime momentum.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Voters have also expressed growing frustration at the lack of progress in reducing homelessness and overall housing costs.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Darren Guccione, chief executive of Keeper Security says the ongoing incident highlights the growing threat to the hospitality industry.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

In their place, great garlands of sticks and leaves hung above him, as though a tree were growing upside down from the ceiling.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

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