develop

develop — verb

1. to become bigger, stronger, or more advanced over time, or to deliberately help

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to become bigger, stronger, or more advanced over time, or to deliberately help something grow or improve in this way

Example

Over the summer, the tiny seedling developed into a sturdy young cherry tree.

develop + into + noun phrase

Kenji developed his Mandarin skills by practicing with native speakers every day.

develop + noun (skill, ability)

Common collocations
  • develop skills
  • develop an ability
  • develop muscles
  • develop a relationship
  • develop into
  • develop from
  • rapidly develop
  • slowly develop
  • fully develop
Synonyms
  • grow

    more general, about size increase; 'develop' adds complexity and advancement

  • mature

    focuses on reaching a final, fully-developed state; more formal

  • evolve

    suggests gradual change over a long period, often with improvement; slightly more formal

  • progress

    emphasizes forward movement toward a goal; can be intransitive only

Antonyms
  • shrink

    opposite of getting bigger

  • decline

    opposite of becoming more advanced; suggests going backward

  • deteriorate

    opposite of improving; becoming worse instead of better

Grammar Patterns

develop + into + noun

develop + noun (skills, ability, muscle)

develop from + noun

Common Mistakes

She developed taller after turning fourteen.
She grew taller after turning fourteen.
'grow' is used for physical height; 'develop' describes becoming more advanced or complex.
The plant developed very fast in the sun.' (when the speaker means physical growth)
The plant grew very fast in the sun.' ✅ 'The plant developed a strong root system in the sun.
use 'grow' for simple physical increase; use 'develop' for a more complex change involving new parts or abilities.

2. to create a new product, system, method, or idea through deliberate effort, usua

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to create a new product, system, method, or idea through deliberate effort, usually over a period of time

Example

A team of engineers in Seattle developed a battery that charges in under five minutes.

develop + (new) product

After three years of testing, the lab developed a working prototype of the device.

Common collocations
  • develop a product
  • develop software
  • develop a system
  • develop a strategy
  • develop a vaccine
  • develop a method
  • develop technology
  • newly developed
Synonyms
  • create

    broader, can be used for art and simpler things; 'develop' implies more process and testing

  • invent

    specifically about making something entirely new for the first time

  • design

    focuses on planning the look and function; 'develop' includes building and testing

  • produce

    focuses on making in quantity; less about the creative process

Antonyms
  • destroy

    opposite of bringing into existence

  • dismantle

    taking apart what was developed

Grammar Patterns

develop + noun (product, system, method)

develop + noun + for + noun

develop + noun + to-infinitive

Usage Note

The object is typically something complex or innovative — software, a drug, a system, a strategy. For simpler everyday creations, 'make' or 'create' is more natural.

Common Mistakes

I developed a sandwich for lunch.
I made a sandwich for lunch.
'develop' suggests a complex or innovative process; use 'make' for everyday tasks.

3. to gradually begin to happen or become noticeable, especially a situation, feeli

3.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to gradually begin to happen or become noticeable, especially a situation, feeling, or problem that was not there before

Example

A serious disagreement developed between the two departments over the budget cuts.

disagreement / problem / situation + develop

As the storm moved closer, a sense of panic developed among the coastal villagers.

Common collocations
  • develop between
  • develop among
  • develop from
  • a situation develops
  • a relationship develops
  • tensions develop
  • a crisis develops
Synonyms
  • arise

    can be more sudden; 'develop' is more gradual

  • emerge

    suggests becoming visible after being hidden; similar tone

  • occur

    neutral, fact-based; less emphasis on process

  • form

    focuses on shape or structure coming together

Antonyms
  • disappear

    opposite of coming into existence

  • vanish

    sudden disappearance, opposite of gradual emergence

Grammar Patterns

noun + develop

develop + between + noun

develop + among + noun

develop + from + noun

Common Mistakes

A problem developed suddenly, like a lightning strike.
A problem developed gradually over several weeks.
'develop' in this sense suggests a gradual process, not an instant event; use 'arose' or 'occurred' for sudden emergence.

4. to begin to suffer from a disease, medical condition, or unwanted physical or me

4.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to begin to suffer from a disease, medical condition, or unwanted physical or mental problem

Example

Eve developed a bad cough after walking home in the cold winter rain.

develop + illness / symptom

The patient developed a red skin rash after taking the new medication for two days.

Common collocations
  • develop an illness
  • develop a disease
  • develop symptoms
  • develop cancer
  • develop diabetes
  • develop allergies
  • develop a condition
  • develop into
Synonyms
  • contract

    more formal, mostly used for serious diseases; less common in everyday speech

  • catch

    informal, for contagious illnesses like colds and flu

  • get

    general and informal; works for most health problems

  • come down with

    informal phrasal verb, for mild illnesses

Antonyms
  • recover from

    opposite process — getting better instead of becoming ill

  • shake off

    informal, getting rid of a minor illness

Grammar Patterns

develop + noun (illness, condition, symptom)

develop + into + noun (more serious condition)

Usage Note

Common with medical conditions (develop cancer, develop allergies, develop depression). For minor temporary illnesses like a cold, 'catch' or 'get' is more frequent in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

He developed a cold yesterday.
He caught a cold yesterday.
'develop' usually describes conditions that appear gradually over time, not instantly.

5. to put up buildings such as homes, stores, or factories across an area of ground

5.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to put up buildings such as homes, stores, or factories across an area of ground, transforming how that land looks and what it is used for

Example

The city council plans to develop the old railway yard into a park with apartments.

develop + (land) into + (new use)

A construction company bought the farmland and developed it into a large shopping center.

Common collocations
  • develop land
  • develop a site
  • develop an area
  • develop a region
  • develop property
  • develop into
  • developed for
  • redevelop
Synonyms
  • build on

    simpler and more concrete; focuses on the act of construction

  • construct

    more technical, about putting up physical structures

  • build up

    phrasal verb, suggests making an area more urban or dense

Antonyms
  • preserve

    keeping land in its natural state, opposite of building on it

  • leave undeveloped

    direct opposite — not changing the land at all

Grammar Patterns

develop + noun (land, area, site)

develop + noun + into + noun

be developed + for + purpose

Usage Note

Frequently used in passive or past-participle form: 'a developed area' vs 'an undeveloped area'. In urban planning contexts, 'develop' often carries political or environmental weight depending on the speaker's position.

Common Mistakes

They developed a new hospital in the city.' (when meaning 'built')
They built a new hospital in the city.
'develop' is used for land and areas, not individual buildings in everyday language.

6. to use chemical solutions to make a visible image appear on photographic film or

6.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to use chemical solutions to make a visible image appear on photographic film or paper that has been exposed to light

Example

Megan took a roll of film to a shop to have it developed the same day.

have + film + developed (causative)

Christopher learned to develop black-and-white photos in his high school darkroom.

Common collocations
  • develop film
  • develop a photo
  • develop a negative
  • develop a roll
  • have film developed
  • get photos developed
  • a darkroom to develop
Synonyms
  • process

    slightly broader; can include digital processing too

  • print

    specifically means making a paper copy from a negative

Grammar Patterns

develop + noun (film, photo, roll)

have + noun + developed

get + noun + developed

Usage Note

This sense is becoming less common as digital photography replaces film. However, it is still used for specialty film photography, art photography courses, and historical contexts.

Common Mistakes

I need to develop the photos on my phone.
I need to edit the photos on my phone.
'develop' is only for chemical film processing, not digital image editing.

7. to explain or expand an idea, argument, theory, or creative work in detail, maki

7.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to explain or expand an idea, argument, theory, or creative work in detail, making it more thorough and complete

Example

In his latest book, the author develops the idea that social media shapes human memory.

develop + the idea / argument / theme

Chidi spent several years developing his theory about how children learn second languages.

Common collocations
  • develop an idea
  • develop an argument
  • develop a theory
  • develop a theme
  • develop a point
  • develop a concept
  • fully develop
  • further develop
Synonyms
  • elaborate on

    adds details to something already stated; phrasal verb, slightly less formal

  • expand on

    make something bigger or more complete by adding information

  • expound

    formal, suggests a thorough, systematic explanation

  • unfold

    suggests revealing something gradually; more literary

Antonyms
  • simplify

    make simpler, opposite of adding detail

  • summarize

    condense, opposite of expanding

Grammar Patterns

develop + noun (idea, argument, theme, theory)

develop + noun + with + noun

develop + noun + by + gerund

Common Mistakes

Let me develop my answer: I like pizza.
Let me explain my answer: I like pizza because it has all the food groups.
'develop' requires adding substantial detail or structure, not just repeating the point.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These four words all describe change over time, but with different emphases. 'Grow' is the broadest — it simply means increase in size, number, or intensity ('The plant grew five centimeters'). 'Develop' adds the idea that the change involves becoming more complex, organized, or advanced ('The seedling developed a root system'). 'Mature' focuses on reaching a final, complete state ('His artistic style matured over two decades'), and often implies a natural endpoint. 'Evolve' suggests slow, step-by-step change over a long period, often with the sense of adapting to new conditions ('The company evolved from a small shop into a global brand'). 'Progress' emphasizes forward movement toward a goal and is usually positive ('Her Spanish progressed quickly'). For everyday physical growth, use 'grow'. For becoming more complex or advanced in skills, systems, or living things, use 'develop'. For reaching full form, use 'mature'.

grow ↗mature ↗evolve ↗progress ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • rate of development
  • process of developing
  • stage of development

Adverbs

Phrases

  • develop over time
  • develop in stages
  • develop at a steady pace

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle FrenchEnglish

The word 'develop' entered English in the 1600s from French 'développer', meaning to unwrap or unfold. The French word was formed from 'des-' (un-) and 'voloper' (to wrap), so its original image was removing a wrapper to reveal what was inside. This sense of 'unfolding' or 'revealing' still echoes in modern uses — whether we are talking about a photograph developing (the image appearing from chemicals), a skill developing (a hidden ability unfolding), or an idea developing (being elaborated in detail).