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.

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

#settle down#wake up#calm down#show up

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