# grown

/ˈɡɹoʊn/ (US) · /ɡɹˈəʊn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/grown
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. adult

adjective · CEFR A2

fully developed and no longer a child.

For teachers: having reached the stage of full physical or mental maturity; adult.

- Now that her children are all grown, she has more time for her hobbies.
- It is often difficult for parents to accept that their children are now grown and capable of making their own life decisions.

### 2. past participle of grow

verb · CEFR A2

the form of 'grow' used after 'have' or 'has'.

For teachers: the past participle of 'grow', used in perfect tenses and passive constructions.

- The city has grown a lot since I last visited ten years ago.
- The company has grown into a global enterprise, expanding its operations across four continents within a single decade.

### 3. covered by plants

adjective · CEFR B2 · Literary

covered with plants or weeds that have been left to grow.

For teachers: covered with a thick or excessive growth of vegetation; often used in the compound 'overgrown'.

- The old garden was grown with tall grass and wild flowers.
- The path to the abandoned cottage was entirely grown over with brambles, making it nearly impossible to find without a map.

## Examples

- The children have grown so much since last summer.
- The small startup has grown into a global corporation with offices in twelve different countries.
- Having grown accustomed to the quiet of the countryside, the researcher found the relentless cacophony of the city almost impossible to endure during her brief visit.

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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.