Grow
verbBase grow · Past grew · Past Participle grown · Present Participle growing · 3rd person grows
Definition
1. (verb) To increase in size, number, or amount over time — used for plants, children, businesses, and anything that gets bigger.
2. (verb) To develop or change gradually — to become something over time.
3. (verb) To cultivate or produce plants — to make things grow in the ground.
2. (verb) To develop or change gradually — to become something over time.
3. (verb) To cultivate or produce plants — to make things grow in the ground.
Context Alive
Your cousin quit his office job two years ago and started selling handmade candles from his kitchen. Everyone thought he was crazy. Now he has a small warehouse, three employees, and orders coming in from abroad. You meet him for coffee and he says: "I never planned to grow this fast — it just happened. One good review led to another, and suddenly I couldn't keep up." You look at him and think: this is not the same guy who was complaining about spreadsheets two years ago.
Meanings
3 meanings 1 To Increase in Size, Number, or Amount (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about getting bigger — physically, numerically, or in scale. Imagine planting a tiny seed in your garden and watching it slowly grow into a tall sunflower over the summer. This is describing a natural or gradual increase. You might hear "the company has grown from 5 employees to 500 in three years" about a rapidly expanding business, or someone could say "the population is growing faster than the infrastructure can handle" about a city struggling to keep up with its own growth. Or think about a child — every time you visit your niece, she's grown another five centimetres and you can't believe how fast kids change. The word suggests steady, often natural increase over time.
✏️ Grow is one of the most versatile verbs in English. It works for plants, children, businesses, economies, numbers, feelings, and problems — basically anything that gets bigger over time. Pay attention to the irregular forms: grow → grew → grown. Learners often make the mistake of saying "growed" — this doesn't exist.
2 To Develop or Become Something Gradually (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about changing or developing over time — becoming something you weren't before. Imagine a shy teenager who hates speaking in public. Over the years, through practice and experience, they grow into a confident public speaker. This is describing gradual transformation — not overnight, but step by step. You might say "I've grown to love this city" about a place you didn't like at first but slowly fell in love with, or someone could say "he grew tired of the same routine" about a person who gradually lost interest in their daily life. Or think about two people in a relationship who slowly grow apart over the years — nothing dramatic happened, they just changed in different directions. The word suggests change that happens quietly and naturally.
✏️ "Grow to + verb" is a very useful pattern for gradual emotional change: "I grew to respect him," "she grew to hate the job," "they grew to appreciate each other." It always means the feeling developed slowly — it wasn't instant. "Grow + adjective" also works: grow tired, grow old, grow impatient, grow suspicious.
3 To Cultivate or Produce Plants (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about making plants develop — planting seeds, caring for crops, or cultivating food. Imagine your neighbour who has a small garden full of tomatoes, peppers, and herbs — they grow everything themselves and barely need to buy vegetables from the shop. This is describing the active process of cultivating plants. You might hear "we grow our own vegetables" from someone who has an allotment or kitchen garden, or someone could say "this region grows some of the best coffee in the world" about an area famous for its crops. Or think about a farmer who grows wheat on hundreds of acres of land — it's their livelihood. The word here means to produce through cultivation, not just to watch something get bigger.
✏️ Notice the difference: "the plant is growing" (it's getting bigger by itself) vs. "she grows tomatoes" (she cultivates them). In the first case, grow has no object. In the second, it has an object — the thing being produced. Both are correct but mean slightly different things.
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
grow + adjective → to gradually become something — a state or quality
The audience grew silent as the speaker walked on stage.
grow to + verb → to gradually develop a feeling or opinion over time
I grew to love the town after living there for a year.
grow + noun (plants/crops) → to cultivate or produce something in the ground
My grandmother grows roses in her back garden.
Common Structures
grow a business / brand → to develop and expand a business over time
She grew the company from a garage startup into a global brand.
grow up → to become an adult — or to behave more maturely
He grew up in a small village in the north of England.
grow apart → to gradually become less close to someone
They were best friends at school but grew apart after university.
Collocations
10 collocationsgrow a business
to develop and expand a company over time
grow rapidly
to increase in size or number very quickly
grow steadily
to increase at a consistent, reliable pace
grow tired of
to gradually lose patience or interest in something
grow old
to age — to become older over time
grow confident
to gradually become more sure of yourself
grow apart
to slowly become less close to someone
grow up
to become an adult or to mature
grow vegetables
to cultivate vegetables in a garden or farm
growing number of
an increasing amount — more and more
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
The company has grown from a tiny startup into a global brand in just five years.
The company expanded from a small startup to a worldwide brand in only five years.
2
Children grow so fast — I can't believe she's already taller than me.
Kids get bigger so quickly — I'm amazed she's already outgrown me.
3
I grew to respect him after seeing how hard he worked behind the scenes.
Over time I started respecting him once I saw the effort he put in when nobody was watching.
4
My dad grows tomatoes and peppers in the back garden every summer.
My father cultivates tomatoes and peppers in the garden during the summer months.
5
The economy grew by 3.2% last year — the fastest rate in a decade.
The economy expanded by 3.2% last year — the highest growth in ten years.
6
She grew tired of waiting and left the restaurant without ordering.
She lost her patience after waiting too long and walked out without eating.
7
A growing number of young people are choosing to work remotely.
More and more young people are deciding to work from home.
8
They were inseparable as teenagers but grew apart in their twenties.
They were incredibly close as teens but slowly drifted in different directions in their twenties.
9
He wants to grow his YouTube channel to a million subscribers by next year.
He's aiming to build his YouTube audience up to a million followers within a year.
10
The silence in the room grew uncomfortable as nobody knew what to say.
The quiet became increasingly awkward because no one could think of anything to say.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
3 items Phrasal Verbsgrow up — to become an adult, or to behave more maturely — often used as a command: 'grow up!'
I grew up in a small town where everyone knew each other.
grow apart — to gradually become less close to someone — often used for friends or couples
We grew apart after she moved to another country.
grow out of — to become too big for something, or to stop doing something as you mature
He'll grow out of that habit — all kids do eventually.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsexpand
more formal — focuses on increasing in size or scope, common for businesses
develop
broader — includes growing in skill, quality, or complexity, not just size
increase
more neutral and precise — works for numbers, amounts, and statistics
Antonymsshrink
the direct opposite — to become smaller in size or amount
decline
to decrease gradually — often used for economies, health, or quality
stagnate
to stop growing — staying the same when growth is expected