outgrow

outgrow

English

Etymology

out- +‎ grow

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌaʊtˈɡɹəʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɑʊtˈɡɹoʊ/
• Rhymes: -əʊ

Verb

outgrow (third-person singular simple present outgrows, present participle outgrowing, simple past outgrew, past participle outgrown)

1. (transitive) To become too big in size or too mature in age or outlook to continue to want, need, use, experience, or accept some object, practice, condition, belief, etc.

   Poor boys often have to wear whatever a big brother has outgrown.

   I used to have allergies but I outgrew all of them.

   Some people blame God for their troubles, but one must outgrow such notions.

2. (transitive) To grow faster or larger than.

   The best adapted plant varieties tend to outgrow those less adapted.

Derived terms

• outgrowth

Translations

to become too big or mature for some object, practice, condition, belief, etc

Dutch: ontgroeien (nl), (Archaic) ontwassen Finnish: kasvaa ulos, kasvaa pois

Polish: wyrastać (pl)

to grow faster or taller than someone or something else

Dutch: ontgroeien (nl) Finnish: kasvaa nopeammin, kasvaa isommaksi

Polish: przerastać

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

German: aus (etwas) herauswachsen Spanish: (please verify) crecer más que

Vietnamese: thành cao hơn (1), bỏ (2)

References

• outgrow in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• outgrow in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• grow out