Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense grows, present participle growing, past tense grew, past participle grown
1. verb
When people, animals, and plants grow, they increase in size and change physically over a period of time.
We stop growing at maturity. [VERB]
2. verb
If a plant or tree grows in a particular place, it is alive there.
The station had roses growing at each end of the platform. [VERB]
Synonyms: spring up, shoot up, develop, flourish More Synonyms of grow
3. verb
If you grow a particular type of plant, you put seeds or young plants in the ground and look after them as they develop.
I always grow a few red onions. [VERB noun]
Lettuce was grown by the Ancient Romans. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: cultivate, produce, raise, farm More Synonyms of grow
4. verb
When someone's hair grows, it gradually becomes longer. Your nails also grow.
Then the hair began to grow again and I felt terrific. [VERB]
5. verb
If someone grows their hair, or grows a beard or moustache, they stop cutting their hair or shaving so that their hair becomes longer. You can also grow your nails.
I'd better start growing my hair. [VERB noun]
6. verb
If someone grows mentally, they change and develop in character or attitude.
They began to grow as persons. [VERB]
7. link verb
You use grow to say that someone or something gradually changes until they have a new quality, feeling, or attitude.
I grew a little afraid of the guy next door. [VERB adjective]
He's growing old. [VERB adjective]
He grew to love his work. [VERB to-infinitive]
Synonyms: become, get, turn, come to be More Synonyms of grow
8. verb
If an amount, feeling, or problem grows, it becomes greater or more intense.
Fears were growing last night for four skaters trapped under the wreckage of an icerink. [VERB]
Opposition grew and the government agreed to negotiate. [VERB]
...a growing number of children living in poverty. [VERB-ing]
9. verb
If one thing grows into another, it develops or changes until it becomes that thing.
The boys grew into men. [VERB + into]
This political row threatens to grow into a full blown crisis. [VERB + into]
10. verb
If something such as an idea or a plan grows out of something else, it develops from it.
The idea for this book grew out of conversations with Philippa Brewster. [V + out of]
Synonyms: originate, spring, arise, stem More Synonyms of grow
11. verb
If the economy or a business grows, it increases in wealth, size, or importance.
[business]
The economy continues to grow. [VERB]
...a fast growing business. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: improve, advance, progress, succeed More Synonyms of grow
12. verb
If someone grows a business, they take actions that will cause it to increase in wealth, size, or importance.
[business]
To grow the business, he needs to develop management expertise and innovation acrosshis team. [VERB noun]
13. verb
If a crystal grows, or if a scientist grows it, it forms from a solution.
...crystals that grow in cavities in the rock. [VERB]
We tried to grow some copper sulphate crystals with our children. [VERB noun]
14. See also grown
Phrasal verbs:
See grow apart
See grow away from
See grow into
See grow on
See grow out
See grow out of
See grow up
More Synonyms of grow
grow in British English
(ɡrəʊ)
verbWord forms: grows, growing, grew (ɡruː) or grown (ɡrəʊn)
1.
(of an organism or part of an organism) to increase in size or develop (hair, leaves, or other structures)
2. (intr; usually foll by out of or from)
to originate, as from an initial cause or source
the book grew out of the writer's own experiences
3. (intransitive)
to increase in size, number, degree, etc
the population is growing rapidly
4. (intransitive)
to change in length or amount in a specified direction
some plants grow downwards
profits over the years grew downwards
5. (copula; may take an infinitive)
(esp of emotions, physical states, etc) to develop or come into existence or being gradually
to grow cold
to grow morose
he grew to like her
6. (intransitive; usually foll byup)
to come into existence
a close friendship grew up between them
7. (intransitive; foll bytogether)
to be joined gradually by or as by growth
the branches on the tree grew together
8. (intr; foll by away, together, etc)
to develop a specified state of friendship
the lovers grew together gradually
many friends grow apart over the years
9. (whenintr, foll by with)
to become covered with a growth
the path grew with weeds
10.
to produce (plants) by controlling or encouraging their growth, esp for home consumption or on a commercial basis
Word origin
Old English grōwan; related to Old Norse grōa, Old Frisian grōia, Old High German gruoen; see green, grass
to come into being or be produced naturally; spring up; sprout
2.
to exist as living vegetation; thrive
cactus grows in sand
3.
to increase in size and develop toward maturity, as a plant or animal does by assimilating food
4.
to increase in size, quantity, or degree, or in some specified manner
to grow in wisdom
5.
to come to be; become
to grow weary
6.
to become attached or united by growth
verb transitive
7.
a.
to cause to grow; raise; cultivate
b.
to cause to develop or flourish
to grow a business
8.
to cover with a growth
used in the passive
a yard grown over with weeds
9.
to allow to grow
to grow a beard
10.
to cause to be or to exist; develop
Idioms:
grow into
grow on
grow out of
grow up
Derived forms
grower (ˈgrower)
noun
Word origin
ME growen < OE growan, akin to ON grōa, OHG gruoen < IE base *ghrō-, to grow, turn green > green, grass
More idioms containing
grow
like watching grass grow
great oaks from little acorns grow
something or someone does not grow on trees
Examples of 'grow' in a sentence
grow
The business grew from a love of the land.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
To balance growing the business with financial security for my family.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
To do so would be to join a growing trend.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is a company moving from the investment phase into growing profits in the coming years.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This destructive competition will continue as long as human numbers are growing.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Just imagine if your hair or fingernails grew that fast!
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
There is also the growing feeling that his tactics have been worked out.
The Sun (2017)
And 30 per cent of producers said they planned to use exports to grow.
The Sun (2016)
So for us to grow our sales by 4 per cent was a good result.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You meet via a local campaign with mutual liking quickly growing to love.
The Sun (2012)
These two are gradually growing on me.
The Sun (2015)
Knowledge of this issue has grown rapidly and remains central to the success of leukaemia treatment.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Thus proving business can grow fast and in a sustainable way.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Now the company is growing and its profits are climbing.
Kiam, Victor Going For It!: How to Succeed As an Entrepreneur (1986)
Sales have grown year on year over the past five years.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The hair has grown too long and is wilted.
Bachmann, Susan (editor) & Barth, Melinda Between Worlds: A Reader, Rhetoric and Handbook (1995)
He has also grown and matured as a player.
The Sun (2014)
There is no incentive to grow something the consumer likes.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Two winter plum trees grow beside my door.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
They may still be growing up in public but their progress is clearly worth watching.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We have then to be willing to change and to grow.
Bethune, Helen Positive Parent Power (1991)
Not once has one said there were no plans to grow the size of the church.
Christianity Today (2000)
You both say you are just friends but love is growing.
The Sun (2008)
The project needs to grow gradually so the software can be strengthened along the way.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It is a working document that you can change and add to as the business grows.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It is thought profits and sales have grown significantly since then.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
She said that the number of bears was growing rapidly in the area because of restrictions on hunting.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Small garden plots next to the farmhouses would have been used for growing herbs and vegetables and possibly for keeping chickens.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The problem is that growing numbers are not treating this as entertainment and finding it impossible to divorce fantasy from reality.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Restaurants want to have that string to that bow because it's a growing trend.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's all part of a growing trend to pay for your food upfront.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Since then, sales have grown rapidly and profits have kept pace.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This use has grown throughout the 1980s.
Tom Cannon Basic Marketing. Principles and Practice (1986)
In other languages
grow
British English: grow /ɡrəʊ/ VERB
hair When you grow something, you cause it to develop or increase in size or length.
I always grow a few red onions.
American English: grow
Arabic: يُنَمِّي
Brazilian Portuguese: cultivar
Chinese: 生长
Croatian: uzgajati
Czech: pěstovat
Danish: dyrke
Dutch: kweken
European Spanish: cultivar
Finnish: kasvattaa kasveja
French: cultiver
German: anpflanzen
Greek: καλλιεργώ
Italian: coltivare
Japanese: 育てる
Korean: 재배하다
Norwegian: gro
Polish: urosnąć
European Portuguese: cultivar
Romanian: a cultiva
Russian: растить
Latin American Spanish: cultivar
Swedish: odla
Thai: ปลูก ทำให้เจริญเติบโต
Turkish: yetiştirmek
Ukrainian: вирощувати
Vietnamese: trồng
British English: grow /ɡrəʊ/ VERB
person, hair When something or someone grows, they develop and increase in size or intensity.
All children grow at different rates.
American English: grow
Arabic: يَنْمو
Brazilian Portuguese: crescer
Chinese: 生长
Croatian: rasti
Czech: růst
Danish: vokse
Dutch: groeien
European Spanish: crecer
Finnish: kasvaa
French: grandir
German: aufwachsen
Greek: μεγαλώνω
Italian: crescere
Japanese: 成長する
Korean: 성장하다
Norwegian: vokse
Polish: urosnąć
European Portuguese: crescer
Romanian: a crește
Russian: развиваться
Latin American Spanish: crecer
Swedish: växa
Thai: เติบโต งอกงาม
Turkish: büyümek
Ukrainian: рости
Vietnamese: lớn lên
All related terms of 'grow'
grow on
If someone or something grows on you, you start to like them more and more.
grow-op
an illegal scheme to grow marijuana plants
grow up
When someone grows up , they gradually change from being a child into being an adult.
grow bag
a plastic bag containing a sufficient amount of a sterile growing medium and nutrients to enable a plant, such as a tomato or pepper , to be grown to full size in it, usually for one season only
grow fat
If you say that a person or organization has grown fat on something, you mean that they have become very rich as a result of it.
grow into
When a child grows into an item of clothing , they become taller or bigger so that it fits them properly.
grow out
If you grow out a hairstyle or let it grow out , you let your hair grow so that the style changes or so that you can cut off the part that you do not want .
grow apart
If people who have a close relationship grow apart , they gradually start to have different interests and opinions from each other, and their relationship starts to fail .
grow light
a fluorescent light bulb designed to emit light of a wavelength conducive to plant growth
grow out of
If you grow out of a type of behaviour or an interest , you stop behaving in that way or having that interest, as you develop or change.
grow a variety
A variety of something is a type of it.
grow away from
If you grow away from someone, you gradually have fewer interests and opinions in common with them.
grow the beard
(of a TV series) to gain credibility or improve in quality during the course of a series following a specified development
like watching grass grow
extremely boring
grow out of one's knowledge
to behave in a presumptuous or conceited manner
great oaks from little acorns grow
said to mean that something large and successful began in a small and insignificant way
let the grass grow under one's feet
to squander time or opportunity
something or someone does not grow on trees
said to mean that something or someone is very rare and difficult to obtain
Chinese translation of 'grow'
grow
(ɡrəu)
Word forms:ptgrew
Word forms:ppgrown
vi
[plant, tree]生长(長) (shēngzhǎng)
⇒ the oak tree growing at the end of the lane长在小巷尽头的橡树 (zhǎng zài xiǎoxiàng jìntóu de xiàngshù)
[person, animal]长(長)大 (zhǎngdà)
⇒ He's grown a lot since I last saw him.自从我上次见他，他长大了许多。 (Zìcóng wǒ shàngcì jiàn tā, tā zhǎngdàle xǔduō.)