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.
Sales for the third quarter to September jumped 61.2% from a year ago to $4.31 billion, after growing by an average of 26.5% over the previous four quarters.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
Heineken’s new chief executive officer said the brewer has “more to do” to capture growth, despite sales rising on growing demand for premium and low-alcohol beer, especially in Asia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
The fluorescent lithium fluoride detectors aboard Artemis I were manufactured using the Czochralski method, a technique for growing crystals.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
For seven years, “Boy Meets World” served as an electronic babysitter for millions of kids growing up in the 1990s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
And from the moment Fred Koornstra’s name had popped into my mind, an uncanny realization had been growing in me.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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