ENGLISH
REFERENCE

grow

v.
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈɡɹoʊ// UK //ɡɹˈəʊ// grow Archaic General-service

v. to become bigger or taller over time. You also use it when you take care of plants or when a business gets more successful.

v. to increase in size, number, or maturity through a natural process of development. Can be used intransitively for natural development or transitively when referring to the cultivation of plants.


SIMPLE

Children grow very quickly during their first few years.

CONTEXTUAL

The local farmer decided to grow organic tomatoes to sell at the weekend market.

COMPLEX

Economists predict that the emerging market will grow significantly over the next decade as infrastructure improvements attract more international investment.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is both transitive (to cultivate something) and intransitive (to increase in size).

Pitfall

The company is growing up fast.The company is growing fast.The phrasal verb 'grow up' is used only for children becoming adults; for businesses or amounts, use 'grow' alone.

Idioms13 entries

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