outgrow

American

[out-groh] / ˌaʊtˈgroʊ /

verb (used with object)

outgrew, outgrown, outgrowing

to grow too large for.

to outgrow one's clothes.
to leave behind or lose in the changes incident to development or the passage of time.

She outgrew her fear of the dark.
to surpass in growing.

watching one child outgrow another.

verb (used without object)

outgrew, outgrown, outgrowing

Archaic. to grow out; burst forth; protrude.

outgrow British

/ ˌaʊtˈɡrəʊ /

verb

to grow too large for (clothes, shoes, etc)
to lose (a habit, idea, reputation, etc) in the course of development or time
to grow larger or faster than

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of outgrow

First recorded in 1585–95; out- + grow

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But I’ve certainly outgrown roles or was offered roles that I was probably too young to play at the time.

From Los Angeles Times

The bike had originally been used by Carrie for her daughter Erin, who then outgrew it and got her own bike.

From BBC

The next step is to outgrow the novelty and become medal contenders, something Stokes says Jamaica can do by the 2034 Games in Salt Lake City.

From Los Angeles Times

Lucy says if you feel "we're not on the same page anymore" then you may have outgrown the relationship.

From BBC

“Maybe the festival’s outgrown the town and the town’s outgrown us.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023