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

The installation of charging stations in the region is also growing rapidly.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Nor does it reckon with data on straight men’s growing acceptance of homosexuality or the role of technology in connecting and disconnecting people, or evidence of declining associational activities in general.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

In simple terms, Lystrosaurus thrived by growing fast and reproducing early.

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 hated the dismal place full of sick and suffering women, but we had to go back, again and again, for Betsie’s condition was growing worse.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

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