growing
Americanadjective
-
becoming greater in quantity, size, extent, or intensity.
growing discontent among industrial workers.
-
having or showing life.
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The used fashion boom has been growing for years, driven by technology developed by companies around the San Francisco Bay Area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
For many wrestling fans growing up meant watching stars like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Cena on television.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Joaquin Phoenix, Jennifer Aniston, Laura Dern and Jason Momoa are part of a growing circle of celebrities, designers and stylists who are recycling clothes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Blair is now a full-time professional wrestler, but growing it was such a "niche thing" that she did not feel able to talk about her ambition with others.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
He sat upright in his chair, a smile growing on his face.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
