outgrow

[out-groh]

verb (used with object), out·grew, out·grown, out·grow·ing.

to grow too large for: to outgrow one's clothes.

to leave behind or lose in the changes incident to development or the passage of time: She outgrew her fear of the dark.

to surpass in growing: watching one child outgrow another.

verb (used without object), out·grew, out·grown, out·grow·ing.

Archaic. to grow out; burst forth; protrude.

Origin of outgrow

First recorded in 1585–95; out- + grow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for outgrew

Contemporary Examples of outgrew

When he outgrew his toddler car seat, he still needed a seat with a harness, as he is unable to sit in place with just a lap belt.
The Cost of Raising a Special Needs Son
Elizabeth Picciuto
June 11, 2014

Historical Examples of outgrew

Flora, in a measure, outgrew her bodily infirmities, but she was always an invalid.
Down The River
Oliver Optic
First Frank, the lad, outgrew the country schools, just as he outgrew his clothes.
Frank of Freedom Hill
Samuel A. Derieux
They outgrew their jackets, and became men; and I felt that I had not lived in vain.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Edward E. Hale
The Russian state, in its struggle for existence, outgrew its economic basis.
Our Revolution
Leon Trotzky
I outgrew all beakers and tankards, and not for long could he half-drown me in his mead pot.
The Jacket (The Star-Rover)
Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for outgrew

outgrow

verb -grows, -growing, -grew or -grown (tr)

to grow too large for (clothes, shoes, etc)

to lose (a habit, idea, reputation, etc) in the course of development or time

to grow larger or faster than

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for outgrew

outgrow

1590s, "to surpass in growth," from out + grow (v.). Meaning "to become too large or too mature for" is attested from 1660s. Related: Outgrowing; outgrown.