grow up

intransitive-verb
UK: /ˌɡrəʊ ˈʌp/
US: /ˌɡroʊ ˈʌp/

  1. To change from being a child to being an adult.

    1. I want to be a doctor when I grow up. [ ] [ ]
    2. She wants to grow up and become a famous actress in Hollywood. [ ] [ ]

  2. To gradually develop or increase.

    1. The company wants to grow up and get more income. [ ] [ ]
    2. Our business plans show that we will grow up and expand into new markets soon. [ ] [ ]

  3. To start behaving in a more sensible or responsible way.

    1. He needs to grow up and start acting like an adult. [ ] [ ]
    2. It's time for you to grow up and take responsibility for your own actions and decisions. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

mature evolve develop
grow up idiom

  1. An instruction to behave in a more sensible or responsible way.

    1. Grow up! Stop acting like a child in public. [ ] [ ]
    2. Oh, grow up! You're acting ridiculous given the gravity of the situation. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "grow up" in English means: To change from being a child to being an adult., To gradually develop or increase., To start behaving in a more sensible or responsible way..

The phonetic transcription of "grow up" is /ˌɡrəʊ ˈʌp/ in British English and /ˌɡroʊ ˈʌp/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "grow up": mature, evolve, develop.

Example usage of "grow up": "I want to be a doctor when I grow up.". More examples on the page.