grown-up

noun
UK: /ˈɡrəʊn.ʌp/
US: /ˈɡroʊn.ʌp/

  1. An adult person.

    1. My parents say I need to act like a grown-up now.
    2. Being a grown-up means taking responsibility for your own actions and choices.

Synonyms

mature adult developed
grown-up adjective

  1. Having reached full growth or maturity; adult.

    1. He's a grown-up man now, he can make his own decisions.
    2. It's time for a grown-up conversation about your future and your career path.

  2. Suitable for adults; mature or sophisticated.

    1. This movie has grown-up themes, so it's not for kids.
    2. She enjoys grown-up activities such as wine tasting and art gallery openings.
grown-up intransitive-verb

  1. To behave in a mature and responsible way.

    1. It's time to grown-up and take responsibility.
    2. He needs to grown-up and stop relying on his parents for everything he needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "grown-up" is /ˈɡrəʊn.ʌp/ in British English and /ˈɡroʊn.ʌp/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "grown-up": mature, adult, developed.

Example usage of "grown-up": "My parents say I need to act like a grown-up now.". More examples on the page.