1 A2 neutral
Of plants, to grow up from the ground, especially quickly
"After the rain, mushrooms had sprouted up all over the lawn."
inseparable
sprout up
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To grow or appear quickly, like a plant pushing through soil
In plain English
To grow up fast or to start appearing in lots of places, like plants growing from seeds
What does "sprout up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
Of buildings, businesses, or trends, to appear in many places rapidly
"New apartment blocks are sprouting up all along the riverside."
inseparable
3 A2 informal
Of a child, to grow noticeably taller in a short period
"I hadn't seen my nephew in a year and he'd really sprouted up!"
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To sprout (grow like a plant) upward — fully transparent
Actually means
To grow up fast or to start appearing in lots of places, like plants growing from seeds
Usage tip
Used both literally (plants, children growing quickly) and figuratively (buildings, businesses, ideas emerging). The botanical image of a seedling pushing upward is central to the metaphor. Often used to describe rapid urban development or a trend appearing in many places.
Words that pair with "sprout up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
weeds buildings businesses children ideas talent
How to conjugate "sprout up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sprout up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sprouts up
he/she/it
Past simple
sprouted up
yesterday
Past participle
sprouted up
have + pp
-ing form
sprouting up
continuous
Hear "sprout up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "sprout up"
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