phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb
grow up
to become an adult
What it means
To develop from a child into an adult over time. It can also be used as a command, telling someone to behave in a more mature way.
Words like “grow up” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- I grew up in a small village on the west coast of Ireland.
- Children grow up so quickly — she's already taller than her mother.
- Oh, grow up — you can't sulk every time you don't get your way.
- He grew up speaking three languages because his parents travelled constantly.
Where it comes from
Inseparable phrasal verb dating back to Old English roots. The command 'grow up!' meaning 'stop being childish' is a 20th-century informal use.
Related phrasal verbs
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