grow
The plants will grow if you water them regularly.
Regular watering helps plants increase in size.
to increase in size, quantity, or extent
The company has grown significantly over the past year.
The company has increased in size and revenue.
Often used for physical growth or development.
to develop or mature over time
Children grow both physically and emotionally.
Children develop in size and emotional maturity.
Can refer to personal or intellectual growth.
to cultivate or raise plants or crops
Farmers grow wheat and corn in this region.
Farmers cultivate wheat and corn in this region.
Used in the context of farming and horticulture.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
'Grow' is often used with 'up' to mean maturing, e.g., 'She grew up in a small town.'
Gold Rule
Transitive vs. Intransitive
'Grow' can be intransitive (no object) or transitive (with an object), e.g., 'The plants grow' (intransitive) vs. 'She grows vegetables' (transitive).
Word Origin
From Middle English 'growen', from Old English 'grōwan', from Proto-Germanic 'grōan' (to grow). Related to Dutch 'groeien' and German 'wachsen'.
Usage Notes
Can be used both literally (physical growth) and figuratively (development or increase).