grow
/ɡrəʊ/ IELTSAcademic
verb
- 1.
To become bigger, stronger, or more developed over time. It can refer to people, plants, businesses, or ideas.
- Children grow quickly.
- This plant grows well indoors.
- The company grew fast last year.
- 2.
To start to have a feeling, habit, or quality over time. It often shows a gradual change.
- I grew tired of the noise.
- She grew more confident.
- We grew close after college.
- 3.
To make plants, crops, or animals develop. This use is common in farming and gardening.
- They grow rice in this region.
- He grows tomatoes at home.
- Farmers grow wheat here.
Adinary Nuance
Grow is wider than increase. Use grow for natural change over time, like children, plants, confidence, or businesses. Increase is more formal and often fits numbers, amounts, and measured change. Develop focuses more on progress or improvement, not just size.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- phát triển
- Spanish
- crecer
- Chinese
- 成长
- Japanese
- 成長する
- Korean
- 자라다
Etymology
Grow comes from Old English grōwan, from Germanic roots meaning to become green or increase. It has been used in English since early medieval times.
Common phrases
grow upgrow intogrow strongergrow by
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is grow the same as increase?
- Not always. **Grow** is broader and often means natural development. **Increase** is better for numbers, size, or amounts.
- Can I say a person grows?
- Yes. It can mean becoming taller, older, wiser, or more confident.
- Is grow used in business English?
- Yes. People often say a company grows, sales grow, or the market grows.
- What does grow up mean?
- **Grow up** means to become an adult. It can also mean to act more mature.