maturing
maturing — verb
- maturingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- maturings3rd person singular
- maturinging-ing form
- maturingedpast simple
1. growing into an adult who thinks more carefully and takes responsibility for act
growing into an adult who thinks more carefully and takes responsibility for actions, instead of acting in a childish way
Christopher is maturing fast since he started looking after his younger sister after school.
intransitive; subject is a person; adverb 'fast' shows pace of change
The teenagers in the youth orchestra are maturing into thoughtful young adults.
pattern: maturing into + noun phrase
Adina noticed her younger brother was maturing the year he moved out of their parents' house.
Jude is finally maturing and now apologises when he has hurt his friends.
After two years of military service, Kabir came back clearly maturing and far calmer.
- growing up
more everyday and informal
- developing
broader; not always tied to behaviour
- regressing
going back to childish behaviour
文法句型
maturing into + noun
用法筆記
Subject is usually a young person or a group of young people. Often paired with adverbs of pace such as 'fast', 'slowly', 'rapidly'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about a person's character; sense 2 is about plans, ideas, or opinions developing.
常見錯誤
2. of a plan, opinion, or piece of work — becoming richer and more complete as the
of a plan, opinion, or piece of work — becoming richer and more complete as the person keeps thinking about it
Mateo's business plan is maturing as he talks it over with friends in the cafe.
abstract subject (a plan) + maturing
Her views on raising children kept maturing through her twenties.
subject = opinions/views; long timeframe
The film script was maturing nicely after three rounds of comments from the actors.
Layla felt her style as a novelist was finally maturing in this third book.
The committee's proposal is maturing slowly but everyone agrees the direction is right.
- developing
general; less suggestive of a final shape
- evolving
stresses gradual change over many steps
文法句型
[abstract noun] + is/are maturing
用法筆記
Subject is an abstract noun (plan, idea, opinion, style, theory). Distinguish from sense 1: a person matures; a person's plan or thinking matures. Often takes adverbs like 'nicely', 'slowly', 'rapidly'.
3. of an animal or plant — reaching its full adult size and being able to reproduce
of an animal or plant — reaching its full adult size and being able to reproduce
The maple saplings Greta planted last spring are maturing into tall, shady trees.
pattern: maturing into + noun phrase
Kenji's pet rabbit is maturing quickly and now weighs almost three kilos.
collocation: maturing quickly
Wild salmon take several years before they are fully maturing in the open sea.
The tomato plants in Nia's greenhouse are maturing two weeks earlier than last year.
Once the calves stop maturing, the farmer moves them to the bigger field.
文法句型
[living thing] + is/are maturing
用法筆記
Subject is a non-human living thing (animal, plant, fruit on the vine). Distinguish from sense 1, which is for human emotional growth, and from sense 4, which is for stored food and drink developing flavour.
4. leaving food or drink to rest for many months so that its taste becomes stronger
leaving food or drink to rest for many months so that its taste becomes stronger and richer — for example a hard cheese kept in a cool cellar, or red wine kept in oak barrels
The cheesemaker is maturing wheels of cheddar for at least twelve months in a stone cellar.
transitive: maturing + cheese + for + time
Lotte's father has been maturing his homemade wine in oak barrels since spring.
transitive with named container
Soy sauce is still maturing slowly inside the wooden vats at the family workshop.
Aarav prefers the taste of beef that has been maturing for three weeks on the bone.
The whisky distillery keeps maturing its single malt for at least ten years before sale.
文法句型
maturing [food/drink] (for + time)
[food/drink] + maturing
用法筆記
Transitive with a human subject (the cheesemaker, the distillery) acting on food or drink; intransitive when the food or drink is itself the subject. Often takes a time phrase ('for ten years', 'for three months') or a container phrase ('in oak barrels', 'in a cellar').
常見錯誤
5. of a savings bond, life insurance policy, or loan — reaching the date on which t
of a savings bond, life insurance policy, or loan — reaching the date on which the money becomes payable to the holder or has to be repaid to the bank
Liang's grandfather's savings bond is maturing next March, and the bank will release the full amount.
subject = financial product; future date phrase
Several five-year government bonds are maturing this quarter, so the treasury must plan new issues.
collocation: bonds + maturing + time phrase
The life insurance policy is maturing on Cyrus's sixtieth birthday next April.
Many short-term loans are maturing at the end of the year and need to be rolled over.
The corporate bond was maturing the very week the company filed for bankruptcy.
- becoming due
plainer wording; less common in formal banking documents
- falling due
British formal; especially for interest payments
文法句型
[bond/policy/loan] + is maturing
用法筆記
Strictly intransitive in this sense. Subject is a financial instrument (bond, policy, loan, certificate of deposit). Often takes a date phrase ('next March', 'on his sixtieth birthday', 'at the end of the year'). Distinguish from sense 2: this is a contractual due date, not the gradual development of an idea.
maturing — adjective
- maturingpositive
- more maturingcomparative
- most maturingsuperlative
1. becoming more like an adult in the way one thinks and acts — for example, listen
becoming more like an adult in the way one thinks and acts — for example, listening before answering, owning up to a mistake, or thinking about other people's feelings
Christopher's parents are proud of their maturing son and his patience with his cousins.
attributive use: maturing + noun (son)
A maturing teenager often becomes quieter and more thoughtful at the dinner table.
common pattern: maturing teenager
The coach loves working with maturing players because they listen more carefully to feedback.
Adina's grandmother says her maturing grandson now helps without being asked.
Jude is becoming a maturing young adult who can handle setbacks at work.
- developing
broader and less tied to character
- growing
everyday; can apply to physical or emotional change
- immature
behaving in a childish way
文法句型
maturing + [person/group noun]
用法筆記
Usually used before a noun (attributive: 'a maturing teenager'). When predicative, it pairs with 'becoming' rather than the bare 'be'. Subject is almost always a person or a group of people.
常見錯誤
2. of a piece of work, a person's style, or a field of study — clearly improving an
of a piece of work, a person's style, or a field of study — clearly improving and gaining depth through long, careful effort
Mateo showed the critic his maturing collection of charcoal portraits at the small gallery.
attributive: maturing + collection
The professor praised the student's maturing argument on city housing policy.
maturing + abstract noun (argument)
Layla's maturing style as a singer-songwriter clearly drew on her years living in Lisbon.
Solar energy is now a maturing technology that competes with coal on price in many regions.
Greta showed the editor a maturing draft of the novel she had been writing for five years.
- developing
broader; less suggestive of nearing a final shape
- evolving
stresses gradual change rather than improvement
文法句型
maturing + [abstract noun]
用法筆記
Almost always attributive (before a noun). The noun is usually abstract or describes a body of work (style, technology, industry, collection, draft). Distinguish from sense 1: a maturing teenager is a person; a maturing style is the person's output.
3. of an animal or plant — almost at its full adult size, with the body now close t
of an animal or plant — almost at its full adult size, with the body now close to its grown form
Kenji watched a maturing fawn pick its way through the autumn leaves near the riverbank.
attributive: maturing + animal (fawn)
Nia's allotment is full of maturing pumpkins ready for the village fair next month.
maturing + plant noun (pumpkins)
The zoo's maturing tiger cub now weighs forty kilos and needs a bigger enclosure.
The farmer worries about the maturing wheat because the rain has been unusually heavy.
Conservationists are tracking the maturing turtles as they return to the beach to lay eggs.
文法句型
maturing + [animal/plant noun]
用法筆記
Used before a noun naming an animal, a plant, or a crop. The noun is non-human. Distinguish from sense 1 (human emotional growth) and from sense 4 (stored food gaining flavour).
4. of cheese, wine, whisky, or cured meat — sitting in a cool, controlled place for
of cheese, wine, whisky, or cured meat — sitting in a cool, controlled place for a long time so that the taste becomes stronger and richer
Lotte led the visitors past rows of maturing cheese wheels stacked from floor to ceiling.
attributive: maturing + food noun (cheese wheels)
The cellar held barrels of maturing red wine from the family's best harvest.
maturing + drink noun (red wine)
Aarav showed his cousins a side of maturing prosciutto hanging in the cool back room.
The distillery is famous for its maturing whisky, which sits in oak casks for at least twelve years.
Cyrus poured a glass from one of the maturing batches and asked his guests for their honest opinion.
文法句型
maturing + [food/drink noun]
用法筆記
Attributive only. The noun is always a food or drink that develops flavour with time (cheese, wine, whisky, prosciutto, soy sauce). Don't use for fresh food sitting in the fridge for a couple of days — that is just 'resting'.
5. of a bond, life insurance policy, or fixed-term loan — close to the date when th
of a bond, life insurance policy, or fixed-term loan — close to the date when the money becomes payable to the holder or repayable to the bank
Liang's father reinvested the cash from a maturing bond into a new index fund.
attributive: maturing + financial product (bond)
The bank notified Cyrus about a maturing life insurance policy worth two million pounds.
maturing + policy
The treasury team manages a large book of maturing loans every quarter.
Investors often roll the cash from a maturing certificate of deposit into a longer-dated one.
Greta's notes listed all the maturing government bonds the fund held this year.
文法句型
maturing + [bond/policy/loan]
用法筆記
Attributive only. The noun is always a financial instrument (bond, policy, loan, deposit, certificate). Distinguish from sense 2: this is a contractual due date, not a developing piece of work.