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grow Definition

grow (grō)

intransitive verb grew, grown, grow′·ing

  1. 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

Etymology: ME growen < OE growan, akin to ON grōa, OHG gruoen < IE base *ghrō-, to grow, turn green > green, grass

transitive verb

    1. to cause to grow; raise; cultivate
    2. to cause to develop or flourish to grow a business
  2. to cover with a growth: used in the passive a yard grown over with weeds
  3. to allow to grow to grow a beard
  4. to cause to be or to exist; develop

grow Related Forms

grow′er noun

grow Idioms

grow into

  1. to develop so as to be a boy grows into a man
  2. to grow or develop so as to fit into or be suited to

grow on

Informal to have a gradually increasing effect on; come gradually to seem more important, dear, or admirable to

grow out of

  1. to develop from
  2. to outgrow

grow up

  1. to reach maturity; become adult or attain full growth
  2. to come to be; develop; arise

grow Synonyms

grow

v.

  1. To become larger

    increase, expand, swell, wax, pullulate, thrive, gain, enlarge, swell in substance, augment, advance, dilate, stretch, mount, build, burst forth, spread, burgeon, amplify, germinate, multiply, develop, abound, accumulate, mature, jump up, flourish, luxuriate, grow up, rise, sprout, shoot up, start up, spring up, spread like wildfire*, pop up*, jump up*, branch out*, fill out*, puff out.

    Antonyms lessen*, shrink*, wither. *

  2. To change slowly

    become, develop, alter, tend, pass, evolve, flower, shift, flow, progress, advance, get, wax, turn into, work up, turn, improve, mellow, age, better, ripen, ripen into, blossom, assume the form of, open out, resolve itself into, mature.

    Antonyms continue*, regress*, preserve. *

  3. To cultivate

    raise, nurture, tend, nurse, foster, produce, plant, breed, market.

    Antonyms harm*, impede*, neglect. *

  4. To begin

    originate, start, arise; see begin 2.

  5. To become

    develop into, grow to be, change to; see become 1.

Browse dictionary entries near grow

  1. ‹ groveling
  2. ‹ grovel
  3. ‹ grove
  4. ‹ grouty
  5. ‹ grout
  6. ‹ grouse
  7. ‹ groupuscule
  8. ‹ groupthink
  9. ‹ grouping
  10. ‹ groupie
  1. grower ›
  2. growing ›
  3. growing pains ›
  4. growing point ›
  5. growl ›
  6. growler ›
  7. grown ›
  8. grown-up ›
  9. growth ›
  10. growth company ›