ɡroʊ ʌp
neutral
beginner
- Base verb:
- grow
- Particle:
- up
- Separable:
- No
What does "grow up" mean?
- To develop from a child to an adult
- To behave in a more mature way
Examples
- I grew up in a small town in Ontario.
- When are you going to grow up?
- She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
- We grew up together - we've been friends since childhood.
- Grow up and stop acting like a child!
How to use it
'Grow up!' as an imperative tells someone to stop being immature. 'Grown-up' (noun/adjective) means adult.
Similar expressions
mature
develop
come of age
Opposites
regress
remain childish
Related phrasal verbs
- get up
To rise from bed after sleeping
- turn up
To increase the volume, heat, or intensity of something
- give up
To stop trying to do something, often because it is too difficult
- bring up
To mention or introduce a topic in conversation
- go up
To increase in price, level, or amount
- come up
To be mentioned or discussed
Use it in a practice answer
Try "grow up" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.