grow

/ɡrəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡrəʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgrō/ (ame, mw)

grow — verb

  • growpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • growshe / she / it
  • grewpast simple
  • grownpast participle
  • growing-ing form

1. to become larger in size, amount, or strength over a period of time — used of li

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A1
釋義

to become larger in size, amount, or strength over a period of time — used of living things such as plants or animals, or of things like populations, economies, or feelings that change gradually.

例句

The population of Adina's hometown grew by nearly two thousand people last year.

grew + by + amount

Sora measured the bamboo shoots each morning to watch them grow taller.

grow + adjective complement (taller)

同義詞
  • increase

    more general and can be used for deliberate actions; does not carry the 'natural process' nuance of grow

  • expand

    suggests spreading out in space or area, often used for businesses or physical objects

  • develop

    focuses on improvement or progression to a more advanced state, not just size

反義詞
  • shrink

    to become smaller in size or amount

  • decrease

    to become fewer or less; opposite of increase

文法句型

grow + adverb (rapidly/steadily)

grow + by + amount

grow + from + number + to + number

noun + grow + complement (taller/stronger)

用法筆記

With living things this sense is usually intransitive. The transitive form (e.g. 'grow the economy') is more common in business and abstract contexts and overlaps with sense 5 (BUSINESS).

常見錯誤

❌She grew the volume of the music
✅She turned up the volume of the music
💡'grow' is not a direct synonym for 'increase' when the action is deliberate and immediate.
❌The company grew 20% new employees
✅The company grew by adding 20% more employees
💡a preposition (by/from/to) is needed to show the kind of change.

2. to increase in length, or to allow your hair, beard, or nails to lengthen withou

2.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

to increase in length, or to allow your hair, beard, or nails to lengthen without trimming — applies to what grows from a person's scalp, face, or nail beds.

例句

Quinn decided to grow his beard during the long winter months.

transitive: grow + beard

Tariro's fingernails grow so fast that she cuts them every Sunday.

intransitive: nails + grow + adverb

同義詞
  • let grow

    more explicit about the decision not to cut; less common as a single verb

  • cultivate

    very formal when used for hair; more commonly used for plants (sense 4)

反義詞
  • cut

    the opposite action — deliberately shortening hair or nails

  • shave

    to remove hair from the face or body

文法句型

grow + noun (beard/hair/nails)

noun (hair/nails) + grow + adverb (fast/long/quickly)

grow + noun + adjective (long/short)

用法筆記

When transitive, the object is always a body part that grows from the skin (hair, beard, moustache, nails). The intransitive form describes the natural process of the body part itself.

常見錯誤

❌She grows her skin long
✅She grows her hair long
💡this sense only applies to hair, nails, and facial hair, not to skin or other body parts.
❌My fingernails grew me
✅My fingernails grew long
💡the intransitive form does not take a direct object.

3. to live naturally in a specific location, coming up through the ground there — s

3.動詞不及物A2
釋義

to live naturally in a specific location, coming up through the ground there — said of plants, trees, or flowers.

例句

Wild orchids grow along the riverbank near Shanti's village.

grow + along + location (riverbank)

Moss grows best in damp, shady corners of the old stone wall.

grow + in + location + adverb (best)

同義詞
  • occur naturally

    more formal; emphasises that something is native to a location

  • flourish

    stronger, with a connotation of thriving and doing well

  • thrive

    suggests vigorous, healthy growth in suitable conditions

反義詞
  • die

    to stop living; the opposite of growing

  • wilt

    to become weak and droopy due to lack of water or poor conditions

文法句型

plant + grow + in/on/along + place

plant + grow + adverb (well/easily/naturally/wild)

用法筆記

Subject is always a plant or plant-like entity. Unlike sense 4 (CULTIVATE), this sense never takes a direct object — the plant grows by itself, not because someone is tending it. Distinguish from sense 4: 'Rice grows in flooded fields' (sense 3 — natural habitat) vs. 'Farmers grow rice' (sense 4 — human activity).

常見錯誤

❌I grow mushrooms on that log' (if meaning they appear naturally)
✅Mushrooms grow on that log
💡use the intransitive form when describing where something appears naturally; use the transitive form (sense 4) when you did the planting.

4. to put seeds or young plants into soil and tend them through to harvest or full

4.動詞及物A2
釋義

to put seeds or young plants into soil and tend them through to harvest or full development — the work of someone who expects to use or sell what comes up.

例句

The Watanabe family grows organic vegetables for the local farmers' market.

grows + noun + for + purpose

Astrid learned to grow roses from cuttings, just like her grandmother did.

grow + noun + from + source

同義詞
  • cultivate

    more formal and slightly more technical; implies careful preparation of soil and ongoing care

  • raise

    can be used for both crops and animals; less precise for plants specifically

  • farm

    verb that focuses on running a farm as a business; broader than just growing plants

文法句型

grow + noun (vegetables/flowers/crops)

grow + noun + for + purpose

grow + noun + in/on + location

常見錯誤

❌I grow in that field
✅I grow rice in that field
💡as a transitive verb, this sense always needs a direct object stating what you are cultivating.

5. to make a company, business, or organization bigger and more successful, usually

5.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to make a company, business, or organization bigger and more successful, usually by increasing sales, hiring more people, or entering new markets; or to become bigger and more successful in this way.

例句

Tunde plans to grow his construction company by hiring more skilled workers.

transitive: grow + company + by + method

That small coffee chain grew from three outlets to forty in five years.

intransitive: grew + from + to + timeframe

同義詞
  • expand

    very similar; may suggest physical expansion (new offices, new locations) more than grow does

  • develop

    broader — can include improving quality, not just increasing size

  • build up

    more informal; suggests a patient, step-by-step process

反義詞
  • shrink

    to become smaller in size or amount

  • downsize

    specific to reducing the size of a business or workforce

文法句型

grow + noun (business/company/sales)

noun (business/company) + grow + adverb

grow + from + number + to + number

用法筆記

Often used in business writing and strategic planning contexts. The passive form is also common ('the company was grown through careful investment'). The intransitive use ('the business grew') focuses on the result; the transitive use ('we grew the business') emphasises the deliberate effort.

常見錯誤

❌The manager grew the meeting
✅The manager grew the department
💡'grow' in this sense requires an object like business, company, brand, or department, not just any noun.
❌They grew their sales with 30%
✅They grew their sales by 30%
💡use 'by' not 'with' for the amount of increase.

6. to change state gradually by taking on a particular quality, feeling, or conditi

6.動詞不及物A2
釋義

to change state gradually by taking on a particular quality, feeling, or condition — used with an adjective that describes the new state, such as old, tired, dark, cold, quiet, or angry.

例句

As the evening went on, the party grew louder and more exciting.

grew + comparative + and + comparative

Elena grew tired of hearing the same excuse every single day.

grew + tired + of + noun phrase

同義詞
  • become

    more general and can describe quick or planned changes; lacks the gradual, natural feel of grow

  • get

    more informal; common in everyday speech ('get old', 'get tired')

  • turn

    often used for changes in colour or weather ('turn red', 'turn cold')

文法句型

grow + adjective (old/tired/dark/cold)

grow + comparative + and + comparative

grow + to be + adjective

用法筆記

This is a linking verb (copula) similar to 'become' but emphasising a slower, more gradual change. It cannot take a direct object. Common adjective pairs: grow old, grow tired, grow dark, grow cold, grow quiet, grow angry, grow impatient, grow restless. The pattern 'grow to be + adjective' (e.g. 'grew to be quite tall') is less common but acceptable.

常見錯誤

❌She grew angry at the news
✅She grew angry when she heard the news
💡the reason for the change usually comes in a separate clause or prepositional phrase, not as a direct object.

7. to come over a period of time to have a new feeling, adopt a different opinion,

7.動詞不及物B1
釋義

to come over a period of time to have a new feeling, adopt a different opinion, or start an activity — always paired with a to-infinitive that names the fresh emotion, outlook, or action that arises step by step.

例句

After a few months of lessons, Selim grew to enjoy playing the piano.

grew + to-infinitive (to enjoy)

Sora's colleagues grew to trust his judgment on technical matters.

同義詞
  • come to

    very similar in meaning and grammar ('came to like'); slightly more common in spoken English

  • learn to

    implies a skill or understanding developed through experience or practice

反義詞
  • stop

    to cease doing something; can be used as an opposite when the action is intentional

文法句型

grow + to-infinitive (to like/love/hate/understand/appreciate/respect)

用法筆記

Only followed by a to-infinitive — never by a bare infinitive or an -ing form (*'grow enjoying'). The verbs that commonly follow this pattern describe mental or emotional states: like, love, hate, trust, respect, understand, appreciate, admire, fear. This sense is distinguished from sense 6 (BECOME) by its syntactic structure: sense 6 takes an adjective complement, while sense 7 takes a to-infinitive.

常見錯誤

❌I grew liking the city after a year
✅I grew to like the city after a year
💡this sense requires a to-infinitive, not an -ing form.
❌She grew to the new job
✅She grew to like the new job
💡the to-infinitive verb cannot be omitted; the new feeling or activity must be stated.