Cool MateCultivate vs Grow
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Cultivate
Top 2,000 (common)C1verb
Grow
Top 1,000 (very common)A1
Most common: Grow
| Cultivate | Grow | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈkʌltɪveɪt/","/ˈkʌltɪveɪts/","/ˈkʌltɪveɪtɪd/","/ˈkʌltɪveɪtɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈkʌltɪveɪt/","/ˈkʌltɪveɪts/","/ˈkʌltɪveɪtɪd/","/ˈkʌltɪveɪtɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ɡrəʊ/","/ɡrəʊz/","/ɡruː/","/ɡrəʊn/","/ˈɡrəʊɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɡrəʊ/","/ɡrəʊz/","/ɡruː/","/ɡrəʊn/","/ˈɡrəʊɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To grow or improve something, like plants or skills. | to become bigger or to develop |
| Example | The land around here has never been cultivated. | I want to grow a garden in my backyard. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | C1 | A1 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | intensively, widely, successfully, actively, assiduously, carefully, actively, assiduously, carefully | fast, quickly, rapidly, seem to, begin to, start to, at, by, from, fast, quickly, rapidly, into, to, organically, commercially, locally, be easy to, grow something from seed, well, poorly, fast, allow something to, let something, from, into, to, grow unchecked |
| Antonyms | neglect, abandon, destroy | shrink, decrease, diminish |
| Common mistakes | 'Cultivate' is often confused with 'cultivated'; remember the difference in context., Mixing up 'cultivate' with 'cultivation'; 'cultivate' is the action, 'cultivation' is the noun., 'Cultivate' should not be used with abstract nouns like 'emotions' without context. | Confused with 'grows' and 'growing' in tenses., Using 'grow' without an object when it's needed., Mixing up 'grow' with 'grown'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'cultivate' when discussing farming, gardening, or personal development. It is appropriate in both spoken and written contexts, but may sound too formal in casual conversations. | Used in various contexts, from plants to personal development. Can be used informally when talking about emotions, but be careful not to use it too formally. |
See it in real clips
Frequently asked questions: Cultivate vs Grow
What's the difference between Cultivate and Grow?
Cultivate: To grow or improve something, like plants or skills. Grow: to become bigger or to develop
Which is more common: Cultivate and Grow?
Grow is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Cultivate and Grow?
Cultivate is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.
Are Cultivate and Grow the same CEFR level?
Cultivate: C1, Grow: A1 on the CEFR scale.
Can you show an example of each?
Cultivate: The land around here has never been cultivated. Grow: I want to grow a garden in my backyard.
Can I use Cultivate and Grow interchangeably?
Not always. Cultivate and Grow are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.