# grow

/ˈɡɹoʊ/ (US) · /ɡɹˈəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/grow
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to increase in size

verb · CEFR A1

to become larger in size, amount, or degree.

For teachers: to increase in physical size, magnitude, or quantity through a natural or gradual process.

- The puppy is growing so fast that he needs a bigger bed already.
- The company's market share continues to grow despite the entry of several aggressive new competitors into the sector.

### 2. to develop or mature

verb · CEFR A2

to develop or become more mature as a person.

For teachers: to undergo natural development or progress toward maturity.

- She has grown into a very confident young woman since starting university.
- The small startup has grown into a global enterprise with offices in over twenty countries.

### 3. to cultivate plants

verb · CEFR A1

to take care of plants and help them live.

For teachers: to cultivate or produce a crop or plant; takes a direct object.

- My grandmother grows tomatoes and herbs in her small backyard garden.
- Local farmers grow a variety of organic vegetables that are sold at the weekly market in the town square.

### 4. to become

verb · CEFR B1

to gradually start to have a certain feeling or quality.

For teachers: to assume a specific condition or quality over time; functions as a copular verb.

- As the night went on, the guests grew tired and started to leave.
- The public grew increasingly impatient with the government's failure to address the rising cost of living.

### 5. to sprout or appear

verb · CEFR B2

to start to exist or appear in a specific place.

For teachers: to spring up or come into existence by a natural process.

- Moss began to grow on the north side of the old stone wall.
- Wildflowers grow in abundance along the coastal cliffs during the early spring months.

## Examples

- Children grow very quickly during their first few years.
- The local farmer decided to grow organic tomatoes to sell at the weekend market.
- Economists predict that the emerging market will grow significantly over the next decade as infrastructure improvements attract more international investment.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.