evolve
To change and develop slowly over time.
evolve in a sentence
- Over the year, their tiny lemonade stand evolved into a proper little shop.
- Scientists say that animals evolve over millions of years, changing little by little to suit their homes.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to evolve?
- Adevelop
- Bhalt
- Cstay
- Dshrink
Show the answer
A: develop. The other three mean the opposite of evolve.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to evolve?
- Achange
- Bgrow
- Cdevelop
- Dstay
Show the answer
D: stay. The other three mean nearly the same as evolve.
Words that mean something similar
develop, change, grow
Words that mean the opposite
stay, halt, shrink
More words about time & change
- fatal: Causing death, or leading to complete failure.
- fleeting: Lasting only a very short time.
- frequent: Happening often.
- imminent: About to happen very soon.
- inaugural: Marking the start of something important, or being the very first of its kind.
- inaugurate: To open or start something officially with a ceremony.
- incessant: Never stopping.
- inevitable: Certain to happen and impossible to avoid.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test