grow up — become an adult
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcore
To change from being a child to being an adult, both physically and mentally.
Say it like a native
Textbook I was raised in a small coastal village.
Native I grew up in a small coastal village.
'Grow up' is the natural verb for where you spent childhood. 'Was raised' works but is more formal and shifts focus to the carer.
Pattern: grow up (somewhere/with someone)
In use
- I grew up in a small town by the sea.daily life
- When I was a child, I grew up with my grandparents, so family has always been important to me.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I grew up in a farm.
✓ I grew up on a farm.
'Grow up ON a farm' (but 'IN a town/city').
Common collocations
grow up + place— in London, on a farm, abroad, near the sea
Don't confuse it
'Grow up' is about becoming older and more mature, not about increasing in size.
Related
- grow up (stop behaving childishly) — Another meaning of 'grow up' is 'stop behaving childishly'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.