growing pains

USAGE SUMMARY

"growing pains" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe the difficulties or challenges that are a natural part of the growing process. For example, "Moving to a new town was difficult, but it was just one of the growing pains I had to go through to become the person I am today."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

"There are growing pains".

The New York Times - Sports

The group faced growing pains.

The New York Times

But there are growing pains".

The New York Times - Arts

There will be growing pains".

The New York Times - Sports

These are just growing pains.

The Economist

With success came growing pains.

The New York Times - Arts

"It is growing pains".

The Guardian

Growth required growing pains.

The New York Times - Sports

These are growing pains".

The Guardian - Books

The growing pains showed.

The New York Times - Sports

But the industry has experienced growing pains.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In professional settings, use the phrase to manage expectations when launching new systems, as it implies that the current friction is expected and will eventually resolve.

Common error

Do not label chronic, fundamental flaws or recurring failures as "growing pains". This can sound evasive or dismissive. Only use it for problems that are genuinely inherent to a stage of growth and likely to be outgrown.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "growing pains" acts as a compound noun. In the examples provided by Ludwig, it frequently functions as the direct object of verbs like "experience", "have" or "face". It can also serve as the subject of a sentence to characterize a situation, as seen in the snippet "Growing pains are natural".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Science

2%

Reference

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "growing pains" is a highly versatile and correct English idiom that bridges the gap between biological growth and organizational development. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread use in top-tier publications, where it is almost exclusively used to describe temporary challenges that accompany expansion or improvement. Whether discussing a new sports team, a burgeoning tech startup or a city's infrastructure, the phrase allows writers to acknowledge difficulties while remaining optimistic about the future. It is a powerful tool for framing setbacks as evidence of progress, provided it is not used to mask more serious, permanent structural failures.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Teething troubles

Uses a similar biological metaphor (infants growing teeth) but is more common in British English.

Initial hurdles

Uses a sporting metaphor to describe challenges at the beginning of a process.

Scaling issues

More technical and specific to business or technology contexts.

Formative challenges

Academic and formal alternative describing difficulties during development.

Transitional difficulties

Focuses on the period of change between two states rather than just growth.

Startup struggles

Context-specific to the beginning of a business venture.

Adjustment period

Focuses on the time needed to adapt to new circumstances.

Early setbacks

General term for problems occurring at the start of a project.

Nascent problems

Uses more formal vocabulary to describe issues in a budding state.

Learning curve

Refers to the difficulty of acquiring new skills rather than general growing pains.

FAQs

What does "growing pains" mean in a business context?

In business, it refers to the typical problems that arise when a company becomes stronger or bigger. It is often synonymous with "scaling issues" or "teething troubles".

Is "growing pains" a metaphor?

Yes, while it literally refers to limb pain in children, it is widely used as a metaphor for "initial hurdles" in any project, relationship or organization.

How do you use "growing pains" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a transition, such as: "The new software rollout had some "growing pains", but it is now working perfectly." Alternatively, you might say the team faced "formative challenges".

Can I use "growing pains" to describe a relationship?

Yes, it is common to describe the early, difficult stages of a relationship as having "growing pains", implying that the "adjustment period" is a normal part of building a future together.