1
: not childish or immature : adult
2
: of, for, or characteristic of adults
insisted on wearing grown-up clothes
Synonyms
Examples of grown-up in a Sentence
Adjective
they have yet to find a grown-up way of handling their marital problems
Noun
once you turn 12, you get to eat with the grown-ups at Thanksgiving
Recent Examples on the Web
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024
Nothing wrong with a plain case, but within the gloom and stress of the year not everything needs to be black or beige to feel grown-up.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 1 Aug. 2024
This is a standard but grown-up rom-com confection that takes place entirely on the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus in one of those quaint little villages with colorful locals who hand out lots of love advice.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 July 2024
Not surprisingly, the amenities are equally grown-up, with daily yoga, massages, volcanic mud facials in the open-air spa, and coffee tastings as standouts.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024
With a sleek, frizz-free finish and slight under-curl at the ends, the new style felt minimal, fresh, and grown-up–especially when paired with a strapless Rick Owens gown.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2024
On Wednesday Prince, 27, Paris, 25 and Bigi, 22, looked all grown-up for the preview night of MJ: The Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre in London.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
Think grown-up and cool, rather than twee and cute.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2024
The trick is to avoid pairing it with an outfit that’s overly girly or candy-colored—think grown-up and cool, rather than twee and sweet.
—Hannah Coates, Glamour, 6 Feb. 2024
Clark Collis, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2023
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.
Adjective
As the boy who gets his wish to be big, Hanks gives a glorious, hilarious, and sweet performance as a 12-year-old in a grown-up’s body.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024
Nothing wrong with a plain case, but within the gloom and stress of the year not everything needs to be black or beige to feel grown-up.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 1 Aug. 2024
This is a standard but grown-up rom-com confection that takes place entirely on the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus in one of those quaint little villages with colorful locals who hand out lots of love advice.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 July 2024
Not surprisingly, the amenities are equally grown-up, with daily yoga, massages, volcanic mud facials in the open-air spa, and coffee tastings as standouts.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024
With a sleek, frizz-free finish and slight under-curl at the ends, the new style felt minimal, fresh, and grown-up–especially when paired with a strapless Rick Owens gown.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2024
On Wednesday Prince, 27, Paris, 25 and Bigi, 22, looked all grown-up for the preview night of MJ: The Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre in London.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
Think grown-up and cool, rather than twee and cute.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2024
The trick is to avoid pairing it with an outfit that’s overly girly or candy-colored—think grown-up and cool, rather than twee and sweet.
—Hannah Coates, Glamour, 6 Feb. 2024
Noun
Reportedly shot for less than $100,000, this tale of Pooh and Piglet all grown-up and running amok recently opened to box office success in Mexico and is currently playing on cinema screens around America.
—Clark Collis, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near grown-up
Cite this Entry
“Grown-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grown-up. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share