Definition of grown-upnext
as in mature
relating to or typical of adults; displaying proper maturity they have yet to find a grown-up way of handling their marital problems

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

grown-up

2 of 3

noun

grown up

3 of 3

verb

past participle of grow up

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grown-up
Adjective
Working with sister stylist duo Chloe and Chenelle Delgadillo, Rodrigo has reconstructed her signature looks to feel softer and more grown-up, with outfits drawing from fashion references just as diverse as her musical taste. — Chelsey Sanchez, CNN Money, 25 June 2026 There was something so exciting about holding those glowing wands and feeling just a little grown-up while doing it. — Abby Price, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
Noun
While families are very welcome, the overall atmosphere leans more towards a calm and grown-up feel. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 Chestnut red is an ingenue all grown-up—matured past apricots and strawberry blonde into something more capable and authoritative. — Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
Gasper’s father, also named Mickey, had grown up rooting for the Yankees in New Jersey, so Gasper liked them, too. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Not many people were left by then but Stanley Hurst was, raising four children on the same land where he’d been born and grown up. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for grown-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grown-up
Adjective
  • Quinn says that using a sponge can be particularly flattering on mature skin, though the foundation formula and skin preparation are just as important.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The cone’s spikelike axis remains on the branch after the mature cone falls apart.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The reforms focus on eligibility and work requirements for able-bodied adults, which can also be satisfied by attending school, participating in job training, or volunteering.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • White militias destroyed their homes, torched their food supplies, and slaughtered them outright so routinely that a secondary economy of kidnappers sprang up to sell the survivors, children and adults alike, into servitude.
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Amazon’s $200 billion in third-quarter revenues were not enough to reassure investors, who have grown wary of the AI trade as surging debt and financing costs outpace revenues and push firms into negative cash flows.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • If this sort of shotgun approach to local targeting is a relatively unfamiliar phenomenon in political circles, football fans have long grown used to seeing ads for things that are essentially irrelevant to their own interests.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Grown-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grown-up. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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