grow S1 W1 / ɡrəʊ $ ɡroʊ / 动词 ( past tense grew / ɡru / , past participle grown / ɡrəʊn $ ɡroʊn / )

1 increase

a) [不及物动词] to increase in amount, size, number, or strength 反义词 shrink :

Support for Mr Thompson is growing.

grow by

Sales of new cars grew by 10% last year.

grow from/to

The number of students at the college has grown from 200 to over 500.

A growing number of people are taking part-time jobs.

grow rapidly/slowly/steadily

The economy has grown steadily.

Fears are growing for the crew’s safety.

grow in

a city that is still growing in size

Skiing has really grown in popularity.

There is growing concern about climate change.

my growing interest in China

b) [及物动词] to make a business or part of a business bigger and more successful :

We want to grow the export side of the business.

Register

In everyday English, people usually say an amount or level goes up rather than grows :

Sales went up by 10% last year.

The population of the town has gone up to almost a million.

2 person/animal [不及物动词] to become bigger, taller etc over a period of time in the process of becoming an adult 反义词 shrink :

You’ve really grown since I last saw you.

Victor seemed to grow taller every day.

grow 2 inches/5 cm etc

Stan grew two inches in six months.

3 plants

a) [不及物动词] if plants grow, they exist and develop in a natural way :

a tree which will grow well in most types of soil

The plants grow wild (= grow without anyone looking after them ) by the river.

b) [及物动词] to make plants or crops develop and produce fruit or flowers → raise :

Many families own plots of land to grow food.

Britain grows 6,000,000 tonnes of potatoes a year.

The growing season is from April to September.

4 hair/nails

a) [及物动词] if you grow your hair or nails, you do not cut them :

I’ve decided to grow my hair long .

grow a beard/moustache

b) [不及物动词] when hair or nails grow, they become longer

5 become

a) [ I always + adj ] to change and become different quite slowly :

The sound was growing louder.

Her tastes have changed as she’s grown older.

Donna has grown tired of being a model.

Gradually, Fiona’s eyes grew used to the darkness (= she gradually became able to see a little better ) .

b) [不及物动词] to gradually change your opinions and have a feeling that you did not have before

grow to like/hate/respect etc

After a while the kids grew to like Mr Cox.

the city he had grown to love

Register

In everyday English, people usually say get older/tired/angry etc rather than grow older/tired/angry etc, which sounds rather literary:

The sound was getting louder.

6 improve [不及物动词] to gradually become better, bigger etc

grow as

She’s grown tremendously as a musician.

7 it/money doesn’t grow on trees spoken used to say that you should not waste money

grow apart 短语动词

if two people grow apart, their relationship becomes less close :

The couple had been growing apart for years.

grow into somebody/something 短语动词

1 to develop over time and become a particular kind of person or thing :

Sue grew into a lovely young woman.

The two-part show has grown into a full-fledged series.

2 to gradually learn how to do a job or deal with a situation successfully :

She will grow into her new role over the next few months.

3 if a child grows into clothes, he or she becomes big enough to wear them

grow on somebody 短语动词

if something grows on you, you gradually like it more and more :

I hated his music at first, but it grows on you.

grow out 短语动词

if you grow out a hairstyle, or if it grows out, you gradually grow your hair until the style disappears

grow something ↔ out

I’m growing my fringe out.

grow out of something 短语动词

1 if a child grows out of clothes, he or she becomes too big to wear them 同义词 outgrow

2 if someone grows out of something, they stop doing it as they get older 同义词 outgrow :

Mike finally seems to be growing out of his rebelliousness.

3 to develop or happen as a result of something else that happened or existed :

His art grew out of his love of nature.

legislation which grew out of concern over the increasing crime rate

grow up 短语动词

1 to develop from being a child to being an adult :

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I grew up in Chicago.

2 grow up! spoken used to tell someone to behave in a more responsible way, like an adult

3 to start to exist or develop gradually :

Trading settlements grew up by the river.