grow Definition
grow (grō)
intransitive verb grew, grown, grow′·ing
- to come into being or be produced naturally; spring up; sprout
- to exist as living vegetation; thrive cactus grows in sand
- to increase in size and develop toward maturity, as a plant or animal does by assimilating food
- to increase in size, quantity, or degree, or in some specified manner to grow in wisdom
- to come to be; become to grow weary
- 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
- to cause to grow; raise; cultivate
- to cause to develop or flourish to grow a business
- to cover with a growth: used in the passive a yard grown over with weeds
- to allow to grow to grow a beard
- to cause to be or to exist; develop
grow Related Forms
grow Idioms
grow into
- to develop so as to be a boy grows into a man
- 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
- to develop from
- to outgrow
grow up
- to reach maturity; become adult or attain full growth
- to come to be; develop; arise
grow Synonyms
grow
v.
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. 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. To cultivate
raise, nurture, tend, nurse, foster, produce, plant, breed, market. To begin
To become
develop into, grow to be, change to; see become 1.
Browse dictionary entries near grow
- ‹ groveling
- ‹ grovel
- ‹ grove
- ‹ grouty
- ‹ grout
- ‹ grouse
- ‹ groupuscule
- ‹ groupthink
- ‹ grouping
- ‹ groupie
- grower ›
- growing ›
- growing pains ›
- growing point ›
- growl ›
- growler ›
- grown ›
- grown-up ›
- growth ›
- growth company ›

