become/grow/get old

Question

Is there any difference among "become", "grow" and "get" when they go with an adjective? I would like to know your answers. Thank you beforehand.

Answer 1

get/become old have basically the same meaning: they indicate a change by focusing on the difference; someone used to be young, but now they are old. It's like saying "to reach the state or quality of being old" or "to start to be old".

He stayed in prison till he got old.

grow old also means "become", but it's more like a gradual process.

Growing old is so awful!

Will it be so awful to grow old although it is in a gradual way?. To be or not to be. That is the question. - nila45, Oct 28, 2009

Thank you. - nila45, Oct 28, 2009

You're welcome. Actually, we've been growing old since the day we were born :) - Issabela, Oct 28, 2009

Really? I cannot believe it. - nila45, Oct 28, 2009

Mirror mirror ;)) - Issabela, Oct 28, 2009

In biology we would say that you are in the process of developing (into wonderful and wise people) - Izanoni1, Oct 28, 2009

Answer 2

To become old

I don't think that I've ever heard this. I don't recommend it

To grow old

Okay. Quite formal

To get old

The best and the most common

...en mi humilde opinión. Espero que esto te ayude, Nila

Un saludo

Answer 3

But, if I look up the examples in the dictionary, I will find a lot of examples in which "get" doesn't mean "conseguir".

Answer 4

Why not? If they are the same we could say "become old", don't you think?

Answer 5

Envejecer is to grow old, conseguir is to get something and hacer to become something for example Despues de siete años de estudio Alfredo hizo doctor.