What does "grow" mean?
To become larger, to increase in magnitude.
Grow
/ɡɹoʊ/ name, verb
name, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To become larger, to increase in magnitude.
- Grammar: grow is listed as name, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: develop, mature, raise, rise.
- Useful contrasts: dwindling resources, fellest, gentle decline.
- Usage evidence: When I grow up, I want to be a king.
How to use "grow"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "grow" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "grow" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "grow" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "grow" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "grow" is acting as name, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "develop" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "grow", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To become larger, to increase in magnitude. ergative
"Children grow quickly."
- 2 come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes) wordnet
- 3 To undergo growth; to be present (somewhere) ergative
"Apples now grow all over the world."
- 4 pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become wordnet
- 5 To appear or sprout. intransitive
"Leaf buds grew on the trees with the advance of spring."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain wordnet
- 7 To develop, to mature. intransitive
"As I grew throughout adolescence, I came to appreciate many things about human nature."
- 8 increase in size by natural process wordnet
- 9 To cause or allow something to become bigger, especially to cultivate plants. transitive
"He grows peppers and squash each summer in his garden."
- 10 cause to grow or develop wordnet
- 11 To assume a condition or quality over time. copulative
"Near-synonyms: become, get, go, turn, come, fall, wax"
- 12 develop and reach maturity; undergo maturation wordnet
- 13 To become attached or fixed; to adhere. intransitive, obsolete
"Our knees shall kneel till to the ground they grow."
- 14 become attached by or as if by the process of growth wordnet
- 15 grow emotionally or mature wordnet
- 16 cultivate by growing, often involving improvements by means of agricultural techniques wordnet
- 17 come into existence; take on form or shape wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"When I grow up, I want to be a king."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "grow"?
Common synonyms include: develop, mature, raise, rise, abundance increase, accreting shore.
How do you use "grow" in a sentence?
When I grow up, I want to be a king.
How do you pronounce "grow"?
Pronounced /ɡɹoʊ/.
Etymology
From Middle English growen, from Old English grōwan (“to grow, increase, flourish, germinate”), from Proto-West Germanic *grōan, from Proto-Germanic *grōaną (“to grow, grow green”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (“to grow, become green”). Cognates Cognate with Scots grow, grew (“to grow”), North Frisian grojen, growen (“to grow”), West Frisian groeie (“to grow”), Dutch groeien (“to grow”), German Low German grojen (“to green; thrive; take hold; flourish”), Middle High German grüejen (“to grow, grow green”), Danish gro (“to grow”), Norwegian gro (“to grow”), Swedish gro (“to germinate, grow, sprout”), Icelandic gróa (“to grow”), Latin herba (“plant, herb, weed”), Swedish gröda (“crop”), North Frisian greyde (“growth, pasture”). Related to growth, grass, green.