grow a pair
To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation in which one has so far failed to do so.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You need to grow a pair and tell him the truth.”
“He was afraid to ask for a raise, but his friend told him it was time to grow a pair.”
“Despite his long history of hesitation, he finally decided to grow a pair and confront the board about their unfair policies.”
Derived as a clipping of the more anatomical injunction to grow a pair of balls. The truncated form preserves the imperative while omitting the specific nouns, relying on the listener to mentally supply the missing biological equipment.
- 01
absence makes the heart grow fonder
One feels more love or affection for those one loves when parted from them.
- 02
extra pair of hands
The assistance of another person.
- 03
get a pair
Synonym of grow a pair.
- 04
grow a set
Synonym of grow a pair.
- 05
grow a tail
to be nearly about to defecate, to the point of being unable to completely hold it in
- 06
grow apart
To gradually become estranged.
- 07
grow cold
To wane; to lose interest or enthusiasm for something or someone; to become disenchanted or to fall out of love with someone.
- 08
grow on
To become more likeable to someone.
Last updated August 10, 2026