growing pains

plural noun

1

: pains in the legs of growing children having no demonstrable relation to growth

2

: the stresses and strains attending a new project or development

Examples of growing pains in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There were always going to be growing pains. —Charlotte Observer, 12 Nov. 2025

Crypto's growing pains Still, digital assets remain relatively nascent relative to traditional markets. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025

The bad news is that means Ware’s growing pains and mistakes as a 21-year-old player still learning and developing are almost impossible to miss. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025

In Richard Pitino’s first season at the helm, the Musketeers are likely to experience their share of growing pains and inconsistency. —The Athletic College Basketball Staff, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for growing pains

• aeroplanes
• appertains
• ascertains
• entertains
• hurricanes
• hyperplanes
• windowpanes
• abstains
• achenes
• alkanes
• attains
• biplanes

Kids Definition

growing pains

plural noun

1

: pains in the legs of growing children having no proven relation to growth

2

: difficulties that accompany something new

a business going through growing pains

Medical Definition

growing pains

noun plural

grow·​ing pains ˈgrō-iŋ-ˌpānz 

: pains occurring in the legs of growing children having no demonstrable relation to growth